UNRAVELING
by WannaBeWriterWB
Summary: It takes place during Season 7, my own version of it actually. It's how I wanted things would go for Chloe and Clark.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Unraveling  
**Author:** Scarypuffringo (e-mail: PG – 13 (for now)  
**Disclaimer:** Most of the characters you'll find here do not belong to me, I'm only borrowing them and the whole Smallville and Superman background.

**Author's note:** Hello everyone!!! This is my first Smallville fic. I used to write Once and Again and Mutant X fics; of course my fics were always based on impossible couples – Eli and Grace (O&A), Jesse and Emma (MX) – and this is no different. The first idea I had was to try to write an alternative season 7 and I even asked for help to do that but my spare time is reduced to almost nothing and it would probably frustrate the other writers (I apologize for not telling you sooner and I thank you for replying my request); so I decided to take a chance and try to write this story on my own. I have to warn you that I am not an action writer, I'll try and do my best to write some action scenes but I can't guarantee they'll be any good.

This fic is focused on Clark and Chloe and how I think they should be. You'll also find here Clark and Lois (friendship/flirting), Chloe and Jimmy (angst/friendship/flirting), Kara and Jimmy (flirting/romance), Lana and Clark (romance/angst/friendship), Lana and Lex, and more.

You can find it on Kryptonsite Forums, it was originally posted there.

I want to apologize if you find any mistake here regarding Superman's mythology; I confess I'm not really good at that.

REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! No matter what you have to say about my writing, please, do not keep it to yourself. If you have any critics, don't be afraid to voice them.

I hope you'll enjoy the story!!! Thanks for reading!!

Oh, another thing. You'll find here some transcripts from season six last episode; these transcripts can be found at One

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Chapter One

_"No bullets! It's inside of him." Lex firmly ordered after invading the room. "Wee need the man alive."_

_A wraith from the Phantom Zone burst from inside of the priest, killing him instantly, then flew through the roof and into the night._

_"The entity can't survive out of the human body..."_

_[Cut to the Luthor's mansion..._

_Lionel sudden entrance caused Lex to act uneasily around him._

_"Oh, dear. I'd hoped married life had lessened some of your paranoia."_

_"As hard as it is for you to believe, Lana actually loves me."_

_"Oh, you know so little about women, Lex". Lionel sneered gaining another glare from his son..._

_[Cut to Clark's barn..._

_Clark spotted Lana standing in his loft; she had been waiting for him to return._

_"Lana?"_

_"I'm leaving Lex... Clark, I already know about your powers... Just know that I will always love you."_

_Lana smiled and pulled Clark into a passionate kiss... _

_[Cut to a street outside LuthorCorp..._

_"I'm through with you Luthors. I'm leaving Smallville." Lana spat over the phone while treading to her car._

_"All right, I'm here. I'm pulling up right now." Lionel arrived and got out of his car._

_"I'm getting out of here and I'm never coming back."_

_Lana deactivated her car's alarm, which caught Lionel's attention. He watched Lana getting into the car and as he ran towards her, the car erupted in a huge explosion, throwing him back and completely engulfing the car in flames..._

_[Cut to the second floor apartment at the Talon..._

_"Is that the look of a reporter on the trail of a hot story or is someone trying to pick good lottery numbers?"_

_Lois heard Chloe joking as she walked in; she turned and showed Chloe a sequence of numbers._

_"Lois, take it from someone who's gone up against the Lex Luthor army... Not only will victory remain elusive, but you're almost certain to step on a land mine in the process... Now, please, back off."_

_Lois flashed her cousin a fake smile, tearing the paper with the numbers in half then she watched Chloe leaving in relief. When the door slammed shut Lois put the two halves of paper together again._

_"Longitude and latitude..."_

_[Cut to Reeves Dam..._

_Lois were wandering trough the tunnels until a security guard came behind her, he pulled out a pistol and Lois lashed out at the guard, knocking the gun from his hand. The two struggled some more before the guard pulled out a huge hunting knife and with a final thrust he plunged the knife into her abdomen. With a last burst of energy, Lois managed to hit the guard with her forehead, causing him to lose balance and hit his head on a pipe as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Lois did her best to walk out of there; she grabbed the knife and pulled it out of her with a shriek. She dropped the knife and continued to wander through the tunnels, trying to find a way out. She grabbed her cel phone and dialed Chloe's number._

_"Chloe..."_

_Lois dropped her phone and lost her balance, finally falling to the ground..._

_After tracking the call Chloe got the tunnels below Reeves Dam then she found Lois unconscious on the ground. She turned around Lois' lifeless body, getting to see the horrendous wound in her side then she broke into tears._

_"Come one, Lois. You're a fighter... You can't die. I can't lose you. I love you too much..."_

_Chloe held Lois against herself. She stopped yelling and sobbed quietly, a tear fell from her eye and onto Lois, as it does, a white light swirled around them both for a second and when it dissipated Lois opened her eyes. She reached down to her wound and found that it had healed completely. Lois looked up only to see Chloe slumped against the wall, unconscious._

_"Chloe? Wake up... Honey, wake up..."_

_[Cut to Lionel and Clark at LuthorCorp..._

_"You come into my life pretending to be some kind of guardian angel. You're exactly the opposite."_

_"No, Clark. You got it wrong, I swear."_

_Lionel's protest caused no affect on Clark; he dragged Lionel off the ground and pinned him against the wall._

_"Your words mean nothing to me."_

_"Lex is tracking a wraith from the Phantom Zone..."_

_As Clark tighten his grip at Lionel's throat Martian Manhunter came in sight._

_"Where's the phantom?" Clark asked with determination in his eyes._

_"If you get infected, it could kill you._

_"If anyone's gonna stop this phantom, it's gonna be me..."_

_[Back at the mansion..._

_"What happened to you?" Clark asked after noticing the scrapes and scratches on Lionel's face._

_"I don't know how to tell you this... Lana... She's... she's gone."_

_"What do you mean 'gone'?"_

_"She's dead, son..."_

_[Back to the corridors bellow the dam..._

_Lex was running for the exit because the boy whose body was possessed by the phantom had freed himself, but before he could escape Clark sped in, grabbed him and pinned him up against the wall._

_"Why did you have to kill her? Why?" Clark furiously demanded._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Lana is dead."_

_As Clark kept Lex pushed up against the wall, the boy appeared at the end of the corridor behind them. Clark let got of Lex and he ran for the exit._

_"At last... a kryptonian."_

_The wraith freed himself from the boy and rushed at Clark and when they collided, Clark was thrown back through several walls into a huge power-generating chamber, and before he can get back upon his feet he looked up and saw a version of himself._

_"What just happened?"_

_[Outside the dam..._

_Lex is stopped by a police officer. Even though he appears to be in shock, babbling, the officer cuffed him._

_"You're making a mistake." Lex protested._

_"You're under arrest for the murder of Lana Luthor..."_

_[Inside the dam..._

_Bizarro and Clark battled. Bizarro decked Clark, sending him into outer walls of the complex, causing a massive the entire infrastructure to begin to collapse._

_In the corridors, Lois tried to carry Chloe's still-lifeless body out but she is knocked down to ground as part of the corridor collapsed around..._

_Bizarro stroke out at Lionel, sending him against a wall, leaving him unconscious on the ground... _

_"What the hell are you?" Clark asked in confusion._

_"I'm you, only a little more bizarre."_

_Clark and Bizarro collided once again. Clark get thrown so violently that he crashed through the outer wall of the dam and off into distance._

_A second hole erupted with water as the Phantom burst out into the air, flying away... _

Clark stood almost motionless; his eyes stuck to the sky as he tried to figure out what had just happened and where could Bizarro had gone to. His thoughts were stopped by the sound of the water violently gashing everywhere.

Clark looked over his shoulder and the memory of Lionel still being inside the Dam came to him. Though the idea of letting Lionel go rot and die tempted him, Clark knew death would only be a gift to his enemy and he wanted Lionel to live up and pay for all that he'd wronged, besides, Lionel wasn't the only one trapped inside the Dam.

Several security guards, as well as lab technicians among so many other ones, ran for their lives. Clark turned, super-speeding through the chaos that surrounded him and into the Dam again, going straight to the power generating chamber. He looked around, desperately trying to find a way to keep the whole complex from collapsing, but reasoned he was only one and there was no way he would be able to stop it.

The water tore down another wall and Clark had to super-speed again in Lionel's search. As he sped through the corridors he caught a different noise coming from one of the tunnels. He abruptly stopped and activated his hearing, tuning to the sound. The confusion in his mind grew when he realized it was a cel phone ringing. Clark ignited his X-ray vision for the object and when he found it, he was at its side in less than a second. Bending down to pick up the phone Clark's eyes widened in fear seeing the in come call...

Mrs. Kent calling...

"Lois." Clark whispered in realization.

Again his X-ray vision was on the field and he finally spotted something resembling a body three tunnels away. Clark blazed faster than a blink of an eye only to find Lois spread on the floor.

"Lois!" He called as soon as he reached her, turning her over so he could hold her head up.

Though she was unconscious Lois did manage to moan weakly at his touch. Clark was about to throw Lois on his back when something else caught his eyes; strings of blond hair among pieces of cemented brick walls. Those next few seconds were complete torture to him as he battled with his mind, telling himself it couldn't be her. But surprise had ceased at the moment he caught a glimpse of her hair and it wasn't coming back now he found her seemingly lifeless body under the broken wall pieces. What else could he expect? Lois was on a mission to bring down Lex because of Wess and there was no way Chloe would desert her on it, especially if Lois' life was in danger.

Fearing there wasn't much time left, Clark put both girls over his shoulders and super-sped outside, placing their bodies as far as it was safer for them to be, then he ran back inside for Lionel. In a matter of seconds he found the man but Lionel was not unconscious.

"My leg, it's stuck." Lionel rapidly informed Clark motioning for the broken pieces all piled up above his leg.

Clark cleared the area and threw Lionel over his shoulder just seconds away from another collapse of a massive part of the complex. He rushed outside and carefully placed Lionel on the ground next to Lois and Chloe.

"What happened to them?" Lionel inquired at the sight of the girls' unconscious bodies.

"I don't know." Clark yelled in response and overlooked at Reeves Dam.

"There's nothing you can do." Lionel reassured, predicting Clark would want to turn around and be the hero. Clark lowered his head and sirens could be heard blaring everywhere. "Go, Clark. They can't find you here."

"I can't. What about Chloe and Lois? I can't leave them here." Clark's concern for his friends spoke louder than his own safety.

Lionel used the remaining strength in his body and crawled closer to the girls.

"I'll take care of them." Lionel offered, looking into Clark's eyes. "You need to go after the Phantom. You need to stop him, Clark."

During those minutes Clark had completely put aside the fact the Phantom was somewhere out there. He remained still for a moment, unsure where to go and felt an enormous fear creeping inside of him.

"Go, Clark... Now!" Lionel ordered and Clark saw some honesty in his opponent's eyes.

No more words were spoken, only the sound of a rushed strong blowing wind was heard. Lionel stared into nothingness, the spot Clark was standing seconds before, his hands on both girls as the rescue trucks, paramedics, as long with several police cars and firefighters kept coming from all the corners...

------------------------------------

That particular wraith from the Phantom Zone, Bizarro, was a complete and total mystery to Clark, he couldn't even begin to think where he might had gone or what his next move was going to be. Though Clark fought against it, there was only one that could help him find Bizarro.

Holding the key, Clark stepped into the cave and placed it in its place. A white dazzling light swallowed the cave's darkness and soon Clark was standing inside the Fortress of Solitude.

His eyes confusedly roamed around and a crystal got disconnected from the frozen panel, soaring, heading in his direction; uncertainty crossed Clark's eyes as he stared at the flying crystal. Every time Clark had to speak with his biological father, Jor-El, all he had to do was step into the Fortress and begin to speak, but for some unknown reason this time was different. He reached out his hand, ready to take the crystal when a dark shade blazed past him. Scolding in total and complete confusion, Clark instantly swayed and his landed on Bizarro.

The phantom clutched tightly at the crystal before speaking. "Son of Jor-El, your final hour has arrived..." He glared at Clark then strongly decked him against the iced walls, causing them to crash immediately. "At last..."

After gloating over Clark the entire place began shaking, the crystal within Bizarro's hand suddenly mutating, shifting its color from white to red, then from red to black. Fragments of place showered all over them, Clark struggled to get back on his feet at the sound of Bizarro's maddening shriek.  
As the mutation occurred, Bizarro's skin was being burn along with the process; Clark watched in fear and didn't dare to step forward.

"The wisdom within these Fortress does not belong to you, Phantom." Jor-El's voice echoed as the Fortress structure seemed to rapture. "It's meant for Ka-El, and Ka-El only."

As Jor-El kept speaking in his seemingly almighty nature , Bizarro's body became infected by the crystal. It was like a living worm fiercely crawled beneath his skin; his grunting screams of agony terrifying Clark to his very bones.

"And for your greed, destruction will be your penalty."

When Jor-El's words neared the end, Bizarro's anguished cries increased, the crystal in his hand emanating a blinding light that soon clothed his entire body. Another crystal got disconnected from the frozen panel, flying rapidly in Clark's direction, and when he took it in his hand, a force shield enveloped him, trapping him inside, keeping him safe. Clark felt as if his consciousness was leaving him when suddenly Bizarro's body burst into flames, turning into ashes. The wraith of the Phantom Zone no longer had his kryptonian vessel so he instinctually darted, searching for Clark's body but it ended up colliding against Jor-El's force shield, then fleeing the Fortress and out into somewhere else.

After moments that seemed to last hours that could not be counted, the shield disappeared, releasing Clark. He fell to the ground almost breathless, his senses returning to him as his eyes searching for Bizarro.

"What happened?" Clark asked, standing again.

"The vessel created from your DNA has been destroyed, Ka-El." Jor-El's voice filled the place, echoing against the frozen walls. "Though its existence was not put to end."

"What do you mean? It's still out there?" Clark blared, demanding answers but Jor-El remained silent. "If it's out there, I must find it. I can't let it keep on killing humans."

"The wraith no longer can survive inside a human body now that it once possessed a kryptonian shape."

Clark began to breath in relieve after Jor-El's words. "So, it's only a matter of time for it to be destroyed."

Although Clark's question intended to sound much more like an affirmative, Jor-El's next words presented him a whole new fact that would change everything.

"Though it can not survive inside a human body, it won't stop shifting one body after another until it lands into another Krypton Being."

"How many have escaped from the Phantom Zone? If you know, you must tell me. If there's a way to track them, tell me, so I can go and fix what I've done before more innocent people get killed." Clark was determinate to bring this war to an end no matter what he had to sacrifice. "Tell me!" He demanded.

"Like before, the wraith has an specific target, my son. You were its chosen one because by stealing your DNA code, it assumed this Fortress would succumb to its will. And now it's after another member of our family."

Clark's eyes grew large in extraordinary surprise and though he wanted to speak, his voice failed him so he listened to Jor-El a little more.

"When you were sent to Earth, a member of our family was sent here to help in your training... to take care of you. But something did not go as planned and she remained in a frozen state, sleeping all these years inside her craft. But for a reason unknown to me, she's been awaken."

The tone in Jor-El's voice was the same, robotic, resembling the sound of a celestial being, rich in wisdom but completely devoid of any kind of emotion. Even though the situation called for drastic and dramatic emergency in take action, Jor-El continued with his explanation on he's own pace, which drove Clark to the edge since he was dying with anxiety to know everything about this so-called other member of his biological family.

"She?" Clark's eyebrows arched in wonder.

"Her name is Kara. The craft she's been sleeping is under the waters of a place humans call Reeves Dam..."

"Oh no..." Clark didn't need much more to realize what had happened. "The Phantom... we battled in the Dam's tunnels... The place was destroyed because of us."

"Whatever had happened, it was strong enough to have Kara's craft to surface." Jor-El added now being aware of what caused Kara to finally wake.

"You must go, my son. You must find Kara before the Phantom."

The expression in Clark's face changed and he super-speed, heading back to Reeves Dam...

­------------------------------------

_Dr. Hauck... Dr. Hauck..._

Lois slowly began to stir, the sound of chattering far in distance becoming stronger each second that went by. Her lids fluttered until her eyes finally opened. Taking in the surroundings, it took Lois a minute to realize where she was.

"But..." She forced her body up but laid back down, her face twisting with pain. "My head... ouch..." She winced, touching the large bandage glued to her forehead. "Ahh... great!"

Minutes later a nurse walked into the room and checked her vital signs. "You're awake, Miss Lane."

"Not so sure." Lois' sarcasm had to kick in.

"Wait here. I'm going to call Dr. Anderson to come and see you." Offered the male in his thirties before leaving the hospital room.

Lois laid still and apparently the medication was working because the terrible headache she felt slowly eased.

"Good evening, Miss Lane." Dr. Anderson announced himself the minute he entered the room.

Lois flashed him a weary smile, sitting on the bed. Dr. Anderson examined her carefully then went on filling her with some details about her conditions.

"You are very luck, Miss Lane. You hit your head pretty hard and even though you were unconscious for almost thirty-four hours, the damage was minimal. Other than a few scratches here and there, I say you're fine and you'll be good go within a few hours, after we run two mores tests to make sure everything is really okay."

Dr. Anderson finished his explanation and left the room; minutes later Lois was taken out to have her brain examined...

------

Back at the Reeves Dam, Clark dived as deep as he could, searching for any signs of Kara's spaceship but found nothing instead...

------

"Damn..."

The driver cursed, feeling the hot coffee burn his jean-covered skin. He'd been driving for hours and had already broken all known traffic laws regarding speed. The young man looked down and tried to wipe the coffee with his hand but got frustrated. Looking around, he saw the road was practically empty, so he stretched his arm, trying to reach his bag on the back seat, leaving the road sight ahead of him for an instant. At the second he turned to focus on the road again, his eyes grew at the sight of someone standing meters away from the car.

Pushing the breaks further down, the car was stopped, its headlights illuminating the black empty road. "Are you okay?" He asked aloud, stepping out of the car.

His mouth mumbled clumsily as he stared at the figure in front of him. Starting from feet, his eyes made their way up to her face. Jimmy Olsen was stunned, perplexed and totally out of reaction before her. Right in front of him a young woman with long waved blond hair, her big green eyes growing wider as she stood, studying him, completely naked.

Jimmy didn't know if he was shocked because he almost rolled over someone or because he couldn't get himself together from the stunning vision of her.

"Ar... are you hurt?" He asked, carefully walking in her direction. She said nothing but stared. "You're all wet..."

"Is this Earth?" She cut his phrase, her voice coming out calmly and extremely inhumanly like. Her eyes wandered around, trying her best to recognize the place.

If the situation wasn't already odd, it only became odder with her sudden question.

"Hummm... yes... it is." Jimmy wasn't sure but answered anyway, assuming she was in some kind of trance or that she was mentally ill.

"Are you Ka-El?" She asked firmly looking into his eyes.

"Ka-El?" Jimmy frowned at the name but brushed it off quickly. "No, I'm not. Listen, I'm going to the hospital now... I can take you there."

The blond coldly looked at him, her expression flashing some kind of unawareness. Jimmy nodded knowing trying to get her to talk to him was useless. "I'm gonna get a blanket in my car so..."

Jimmy whirled and opened the back door of his car to get the blanket to cover her but when her turned to look again, she was already gone.

"Where is she?" His face puzzled at the empty road...

------

"Mr. Luthor, I..."

His attorney tried to explain the situation but Lex wasn't up to listen. "I don't want to hear what you have to say, Mr. Simko."

"Mr. Luthor, you have to listen to me." Mr. Simko tried again but it was useless.

Lex walked around circles for a moment, his attorney still spoke, explaining that somehow one of LuthorCorp's surveillance video ended up in the hands of the officer in charge of the case and some other items that indicated Lex as the only one suspect of Lana Luthor's murder.

A devilish certainty in his eyes seemed to sparkle as he glared at his attorney. "I don't care if Lana in her living self came here claming I'm the one who killed. Your job is to get me out of here." He swirled and had his back to Mr. Simko. "Now, starting from the fact that I had to spend the last... What? Thirty-six... forty hours, maybe?" Lex turned again and approached the man closely glaring into his eyes. "Since I'm still here, Mr. Simko... It means you're not doing your job very well. And that makes me a very upset boss... What are you going to do about it?"

Mr. Simko was forced to swallow all of his pride, his head nodding in agreement as he reassured Lex he was doing his best and that soon he would have Lex to be released.

"You have six hours." Lex warned when his attorney began to leave.

The attorney paused in his walk only to listen Lex's words echoing behind him. Lex's eyes burned in hatred as he watched the man leave...

------

Lionel Luthor was finishing gathering his belongings, preparing himself to leave the hospital room he'd been for the day when a light knock came on the door.

"Can I come in?" Her low voice soothed his worries as much as her smile bid his heart to pulse.

"Martha?" Lionel put his coat on and flashed a smile at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came as soon as I could after your call."

Lionel shook his head, almost regretting his decision to call her and let her know what had happened to all of them. "You shouldn't have left Washington for this. I am sure Clark has everything under control."

"Have you heard from him?" Martha asked in concern and he silently answered her. "You call me saying that my son has an evil clone determinate to kill him, that he had to go after this... this thing or otherwise the world as we know will cease to exist... that Chloe and Lois spent the last hours being unconscious... that Lana is dead... And you still want me to simply stay in Washington, play the good Senator part, pretending nothing is happening?"

Lionel lowered his head; he knew better. Martha was not a woman who ran from her responsibilities but she was mother before she was a Senator.

"I'm sorry, Martha. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, Lionel... Thank you for warning me." Martha forced herself to smile and the two left the room...

------

"Hey? Big guy?" Lois was getting annoyed, so she called harshly but the nurse still didn't answer her.

Lois had been taken to have two more tests run and during the exams she kept on asking thousands of questions and still she got no answer.

The nurse pushed the wheelchair into her hospital room and had Lois back on the bed. "Dr. Anderson soon will come and fill you in with the results."

"No... wait!" Lois' voice made the male stop. "My cousin... You must know something about her. She's, she's blond. Her name is Chloe, Chloe Sullivan. I'm sure we came here together. Can you tell me anythin..." Lois started her non-stopping round of questions but the nurse had orders to fulfill, so he started to walk again. "Where are you going?"

"I need to check another patient, Miss." He coolly answered, although he wanted to strangle her so maybe that would get her to shut up.

Lois chuckled at his statement. "I was talking to you, big guy. Don't you think leaving while I was still talking is kinda rude?" She raised an eyebrow at him but from the look on his face he didn't share her thought.

"Okay... You don't know anything about Chloe. I get it! So... can you, at least, tell me how did I get here?"

"I'm afraid, I am the one responsible for that."

Lois was mute as she heard Lionel's voice coming from behind the nurse. At Lionel's sudden appearance the nurse took it as he cue to go. Lois only watched Lionel carefully approaching her bed, her forehead decorated with frowns.

"I happened to be around when Reeves Dam started to collapse."

"Huh?" Lois eyes narrowed in suspicious but she soon relaxed a little when Martha entered the room. "Mrs. Kent!"

Martha grinned warmly. "Hello, Lois! How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by truck!" Lois joked causing Lionel and Martha to lightly laugh. "But better!"

"Glad to hear that." Martha placed her hand over Lois'.

Martha's presence took Lois away from her unanswered questions for a few minutes but as the silence dragged in its suspense, questions were thrown at the visitors without mercy.

With a forced smile on her face, Lois asked. "Mr. Luthor, what about Chloe? You brought her here too, right?"

Lionel and Martha couldn't help but exchange glances in self-consciousness.

"Yes, I did."

"Is she okay? Can I see her?" Lois eagerly went on; noticing there was something else they were not telling her.

Lionel cleared his throat and spoke again. "I believe you're wondering why you slept for a whole day..."

"Yeah! Another question that moron with no brain but muscles refused to answer me... I mean, I was never an early-bird but thirty-four hours of sleep? It's a little too much even for me. "

Lois' hint of sarcasm usually was a little overused and even sounded rude sometimes but at a moment like that it seemed to ease the tension that hung in the air while they spoke.

Lionel faked a snort and went on. "I'm sorry, Miss Lane but we were all only following orders."

"How's that?" She frowned.

"Your father told us it would be better to have you on..."

"Wait!" Lois shortly cut Lionel's phrase. "You talked to the General?" Lionel nodded and she was outraged with the news. "I can't believe he ordered to drug me!"

"He said you'd be putting up fight and probably wouldn't allow the doctors to do their jobs. So... We did it for your own good, Miss Lane."

"It figures!" She sneered, feigning resentment.

It appeared to Lionel and Martha that Lois had put aside her questions over Chloe's condition but they were wrong.

"About Chloe..." She started again. "How..."

"Why don't you rest a little, Lois?" Martha offered a sympathetic smile.

"I slept too much already, Mrs. Kent... Chloe, whe..."

"I know. But don't you think you need to be fully recovered? I know how much you hate hospitals and having to spend another day locked in this place isn't something you would want." Martha was never a good liar, she preferred to offer something else instead of lying. "Why don't we let her rest, Lionel..."

Martha was already ushering Lionel while she still talked.

"I agree, Martha." Lionel nodded and followed Martha's command.

Lois moved on the bed, fixing her position while she watched Martha and Lionel's attempt to flee the room and avoid her questions.

"Hey!" She called harshly forcing them to turn on their heels and look at her. "What the hell is going on here?"

Lionel and Martha exchanged glances and turned to her again. "I... I... What... what do you mean, Lois?" Martha stammered, trying her best not to act uneasily but failing miserably.

"I don't know if I feel flattered by the attempt to fool me or if I feel angry for treating me like some eight year old on her death bed." Lois chided them for their oversetting speech. "I don't need no pity treat here. I'm fine. Really! Now, stop dancing and answer me. What happened to Chloe? Where is she?"

Martha was the first to reentered the room, Lionel stood on the door way while she closed the distance between her and Lois; her saddened eyes no longer holding back tears.

Lois already feared something was wrong but now seeing how Martha's face had clouded, she was panicking. "What is it?" She urged in trembled voice. "Mrs. Kent, please..."

Martha swallowed down and took a much-needed deep breath; forcing a pale grin she took Lois' hand within her own. "Oh, dear... I'm so... so sorry..."

Lois was confused for a second; she looked at Lionel and his eyes lowered.

"Why?"

Martha and Lionel only remained in their spots; their eyes giving away the truth they had been hiding.

"No..." Lois' voice cracked and she began to frenetically shake her head in denial. "It can't be... No..."

Martha was taken aback; Lois' tears freely streamed down her face. Martha let go of her hand and gave her shoulder to cry on...

------

Clark was still looking for any signs of Kara's spaceship. He was scanning everywhere but it clearly wasn't on the bottom of the river. Clark came to surface and began to walk among the several muddy bushes on the riverside, and as he walked, Clark felt as if something had hit him, a second later a maddening squealing sound penetrated his ears and it was like his body had been possessed. Something called out to him, he could feel it. Clark dashed, blazing through the bushes until he spotted a shining metal a few meters away from him.

Carefully, Clark made his way and his eyes grew when he recognized the old same asymmetrical forms; the pod was opened and empty.

Clark wondered what might had happened to Kara, he even dared to think the wraith had gotten to her first. When Clark was bending, he instantly pulled himself up because he had a strange feeling of being watched. His X-rayed his surrounding and found nothing. He reached out to take the spacecraft in his hand and then rush to hide it in a safe place but suddenly something strongly blazed around him and shoved his hand away from the alien object.

Whatever that had hit him, it certainly wasn't human given its extraordinary strength. He swayed back, going for the ship again and his eyes caught something. Clark jolted a punch ahead and his fit got frozen in midair.

Clark's eyes fluttered and he saw someone's hand restraining him. His eyes lowered a bit only to find a blond young woman with big green eyes and no clothes on staring back at him.

"Ka-El?" She asked, realizing no human would be strong enough struggle against her grip.

Clark was speechless, he couldn't believe his very eyes; he only replied. "Kara?"

------

Lex had been impatiently pacing since his attorney left; he only stopped when Mr. Simko's voice was heard again.

"Mr. Luthor?" Mr. Simko called, walking side by side with a police officer.

The policeman pulled out several keys and unlocked Lex's cel.

"You're free to go." Mr. Simko announced.

Lex's mouth kicked up a little but his triumph wasn't complete, after all.

"I'm impressed, Mr. Simko. I thought I'd have to wait another day to finally see my money is not completely wasted." Lex railed as he made his way out.

"Mr. Luthor, the charges against you haven't been dropped. You'll be under major surveillance. You can not leave the country until the final trial." Mr. Simko informed cautiously.

Lex headed to the limousine that already waited for him outside, he opened its door and with one foot in, he turned to Mr. Simko again. "Thanks for everything... And you're fired!"

Mr. Simko stood on the stairs of the Police Department and watched the limo drive off...

------

Clark's eyes could not leave the figure of his cousin. The two sat on the Kent's living room; she was now dressed in one his few white shirts and a pair of old jeans his mother had left behind.

Their eyes studied each other very carefully until Clark left his spot on the couch and went to get a cup of warm milk and some apple pie his mother had cooked. He gave her the food but she only took a few sips of milk.

"So..." Clark trailed, hoping she would come out of her defensive composure but it needed more than one simple word. "You're from Krypton..."

She nodded and something in her face slightly changed. "I came here to help you, Kal-El." Her voice was soft and very girly like but a little bit robotic like Jor-El's.

Clark lifted his eyes and saw a smile creeping on her face and that act made him smile as well.

"I don't understand. Why you've been asleep for so long." Clark wondered aloud, rising a question Kara could not answer. "Who sent you here?"

"Everything you need to learn is held in Jor-El's memory. He is the only one to teach everything you need to fulfill your destiny."

Clark winced when she uttered the word 'destiny'; he had made very clear that he didn't want to have anything to with the destiny his biological father had planned for him. Clark believed he was not this savior Jor-El constantly claimed he was. Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, Clark stood and idly walked around his living room. He stopped when his eyes landed on a picture above this tiny table on the corner. He took the picture in his hand and lightly touched Lana's face.

Kara noticed the pain his eyes. "Kal-El?"

"It's Clark." He corrected her. The fog of shock was tremendous that he hadn't told her his Earth name until now. "My name is Clark, not Kal-El."

"You're, Kal-El. Jor-El's only son. Krypton's heir..."

"Stop it!" Clark raised his voice, ordering.

Annoyance took over when Kara spelled his alien nature. Clark's heart beat weakly; he walked back to the couch, still looking at the picture.

"Why do you look at this thing like that? With eyes of pain..." Kara asked looking at the picture in his hand.

"Do you see this girl?" He pointed at Lana and Kara nodded. "She... she... she's gone..."

"Gone?" Kara was confused. She still had a lot to learn on human language. "Where did she go?"

Clark at to chuckle at that question. "To a place where I can't never find her again... She's dead, Kara."

Kara observed Clark for a while, she could tell Lana and him were extremely close but there was still something missing in the whole scenario.

"Who is she?" Kara asked, touching Lana's face on the picture.

"Her name is Lana... She is the love of my life."

Kara stared at the picture a little longer and Clark's words echoed in her mind. _She is the love of my life._ Kara knew better than that and she was sure Clark knew too. But why he acted to weak towards this girl's death? What about her that stroked him so completely?

"Kal-El, this wom..." Kara opened her mouth but her speech was interrupt by the front door.

Both of their faces jolted up to look at who was coming in.

With wide eyes Martha contemplated the scene in her living room. Her puzzlement towards Kara's presence was above obvious.

"Mom?" Clark frowned, standing. Kara followed his act and stood as well.

Seeing the expression on his mother's face Clark quickly explained. "Mom, this Kara. She's from Krypton too..." Martha's eyes shifted from Clark to Kara while he spoke. "Kara is my cousin. Jor-El had sent her here."

Martha's mouth moved and random sounds were heard. "When? Why? Clark..."

"I wish I knew, mom. But I still have to find out and..." Clark halted his words and puzzled. "What are you doing here, Mom? Weren't you supposed to be in Washington?"

Martha breathed deeply, she knew it was going to be difficult. "Lionel called me. He told me about the Phantom... about Lana..."

Clark's face fell when his mother mentioned Lana.

"I'm so sorry, Clark." She offered warmly.

Clark felt his heart slowly regain strength by the touch of his mother hand over his; a bitter disgusting taste of anger rising inside when he thought of Lex. "Lex didn't have the right, mom... He's gonna pay for what he did."

Martha barely recognized her son when he uttered those words. So much anger and hate she saw in his eyes that it even scared her.

"You said you talked to Lionel... Did he say anything about Chloe and Lois? When I left the Dam he told me he would take care of them."

Martha nodded already feeling the tears threatening her eyes. "Yes, Clark. They've been taken to the hospital."

"How are they? How's Chloe?"

Taking off her coat then sitting on the couch, Martha gathered strength to go on talking. "Lois is fine. She's going to be released in the morning."

"Good. But what about Chloe?" Clark asked and for the first time noticed his mother's eyes.

Martha's eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at him. Clark felt something cutting through his stomach, his eyes never leaving his mother's.

"Mom... How's Chloe?" He insisted in his question, urging her to tell him what he wanted to know. "Mom?" In his last call, Clark's voice was rushed and demanding.

Martha knew what she was about to deliver was too much for her son. He had already lost Lana and losing the one person he trusted the most was going to kill him. She stepped closer to her son and protectively enveloped him in her arms, her fingers grazing his hair.

She pulled away for an instant, cupping his face with her hands. "Honey... Chloe... She... Oh, dear... They did everything they could."

Clark's felt his blood rushing inside his veins and an overwhelming fear was taking over him.

"Chloe... she's... She's gone."

He felt as if a knife made by kryptonite penetrated his heart. His body began shaking and tears stained his face... Martha once again locked her arms around him, reassuring he was not alone...

* * *

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"_Chloe... she's... She's gone."_

_Clark felt like a knife made of kryptonite slowly penetrated his heart. His body began shaking and tears soon stained his face... Martha once again locked her arms around her son, reassuring he wasn't alone..._

Though it had only been a few minutes, it felt like hours had passed them by. Clark remained in his mother's embrace while his mind got assailed by so many thoughts. All kinds of emotions – frustration, anger, hate, emptiness, loneliness – each and every single one of them rushed in and out of him all at once.

An unexpected move from him caused Martha to grow wider in concern for her son. Clark slipped away from her arms and darted to the door and though he was able to move faster than the speed of a bullet, his hands never reached the doorknob. Clark froze in time and place, he paused in mid-walk, his widened eyes blankly staring at the closed door, and if it wasn't for the slightly tremble, anyone would say that his body was completely paralyzed.

Martha's hand reached out in an attempt to go to him but she relinquished her act almost instantly, her frightened eyes never leaving his figure. Kara stood next to the couch, she silently observed everything.

"Oh my..." Martha lowly cried when she realized Clark's balance was about to fail him.

Indeed, it was a unique situation. Before Martha could finish, it was as if a strong wind blew past her and the next thing she knew was Clark being held up high in Kara's arms.

"...God."

Martha had to blink a few times because for a second she thought her eyes were actually deceiving her. Kara was from Krypton, that much was true. But having to witness a three sized girl effortlessly lift a man twice her height and weight was still too much for one's eyes to believe; even for Martha's. Although she was still in the fog of the shock of it all, Martha found her voice and ordered Kara to lay him down on the couch. The girl immediately did as commanded and Martha ran to kneel down next to him.

"Oh, God! Clark." Martha whispered, glazing her hand over his forehead. "Sweetheart, can you listen to me? Clark?"

How deeply she feared for Clark at that moment, she had never seen him like that before. Martha used to believe kryptonite was the only thing able to drain his physical strength so drastically and completely but apparently heartache had an equal or even a much more powerful effect on him. But deep down, she understood him. Martha knew how much Clark had suffered over Jonathan's death and how terribly painful it must had been to find out Lana was murdered. Now he had to face the pain of losing his best friend.

So much Clark had to deal over those past years, so much suffering he had to go through, so much he had to overcome... One would think he'd be strong enough by now but truth was he wasn't. Although Clark never really wanted to admit it out loud, he was only able to survive all the challenges, betrayals, misled relationships, lies, sacrifices... Clark was only able to overcome all the suffering because she had been at his side all along. Chloe was his safe shore, his anchor. The one he trusted the most in his life other than his parents. Even when he learned Lana had been killed, that he had lost the love of his life for good, even feeling his heart being pulled out from his chest, Clark knew exactly where to run to... Chloe's arms.

The fear of having to face Chloe's death once introduced in his heart by the illusion created by the phantom was nothing compared to what he felt at that moment. The pain was lacerating what was left of his heart, it was cutting through him and he felt powerless before it all. What would he do now? Who would he trust? Who would be the one to pick up his pieces? Who would help him stand whenever he fell down? Who would share the sunset with him? What would he do without her? Anyone who heard him claiming Lana was the love of his life would chuckle at the idea of him feeling completely lost without the one who was only supposed to be his friend. But it was an undeniable truth that now unraveled before everyone's eyes, including his own.

Clark quivered ever so slightly, his eyes lost into nothingness, almost deadly frozen while his tears slowly dried, leaving trails down his face. A sob escaped his lips and Kara distanced herself from the couch. She still watched him in awe, choosing to remain in silence.

"Clark?" Martha shook him lightly, her voice full with fear and sorrow. "Please, say something."

The sound of his mother's voice was incredibly low at his ears; another sound seemed to draw his attention. A weak throbbing sound somehow echoed in his brain, forcing him to step out of his trance. Clark abruptly gasped for air and in a swift sudden move he was up on his feet.

"Oh... Clark!" Martha exclaimed, gripping at his shoulders.

Clark lightly shook his head, it almost looked like he was trying to mentally wake himself and organize his thoughts so he could take action. His lids fluttered as he eyed his mother with confusion.

"Are you okay, honey? Talk to me, Clark." Martha pleaded but Clark had already made up his mind.

"I need to go to the hospital. I need to see her."

His saddened uttered words were all he had to say to his mother. Clark began to walk but Martha's hands stopped him.

"Don't go there, Clark. It will only hurt you even more. There's nothing you can do. She's gone, dear."

Clark closed his eyes at the sound of those words. His heart told him to go but his mother's reasoning plead seemed to be the right thing to do.

"Please, hone..."

"Let him go!"

Kara's voice was heard and their eyes turned to her. Her expression was calm and somewhat doubtless. Martha looked at the girl and her green eyes spoke volumes at that moment but the message was cryptic.

"Let him go!" Kara spoke again in certainty.

Martha's mouth soundlessly moved and Clark sensed something coming from Kara. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her then freeing his arm from his mother's hand, he super-sped out of the house.

Her hair flew and she felt air where once Clark stood...

--------------------------------------------------------

It took him less than a minute to get to the hospital. He invaded the place, his eyes frenetically searching every corner for a familiar face. Clark was about to go to the receptionist and try to get some information when he caught vision of Jimmy. The young photographer was slumped further down in a plastic chair, his lips parted and his eyes reddened from crying.

"Hey." Clark greeted lowly when he approached him.

Jimmy lifted his eyes, facing Clark. From the look on his face Jimmy predicted he already knew. "What's up, CK?"

With those words being said the two remained in silence, allowing the dark cloud of sorrow surrounding them to grow larger and thicker.

"I still can't believe I'll never see her bright eyes again." Jimmy lowly stated, his head turned so Clark couldn't see his fresh tears about to fall.

He was never good expressing his feelings through words but right then seeing Jimmy longing to see Chloe's eyes again made Clark wish to say something. He wanted to have the right words to say, the words that would comfort not only Jimmy but specially himself. He dryly swallowed down and began to feel uncomfortable by standing there.

"Can I ask you something?"

Jimmy's request interrupted Clark's thoughts. He eyed Jimmy with a hint of suspicious but nodded his agreement.

Before he mouthed his question, Jimmy let out a snorted bittersweet laugh. "What you and she had... Chloe... It was more than friendship, wasn't it? Way more, right?"

Jimmy thought he couldn't do it. He thought he wouldn't have the guts to ask him but he found courage to do it; he had to know the truth. His eyes set on Clark, eagerly waiting for an answer. Clark stood and didn't know what to say. Jimmy's questioning eyes disturbed him.

"Come on, CK. Just tell me... Tell me the truth... your truth."

Stumbling on words, Clark began. "I... I mean, we... Chloe and I... Jimmy, she was... is... my best friend. I don't know if I will ever be able to define ... precisely... our entire relationship." Clark was extremely careful when he spoke. Hurting Jimmy even more than he already was, wasn't Clark's intention, especially knowing how deeply Chloe cared for him. Clark stepped closer and continued. "All I can say is... Chloe... she was my sanity. She had faith in me and ..." He had to stop, something choked his throat and he needed to take a deep breath so he could continue.

Jimmy felt realization descending on him and Clark's next words led him to certain.

"Chloe was the best part of me, Jimmy... And now I'll never get the chance to tell her how much she really did mean to me."

Clark and Jimmy seriously stared into each other's eyes, sharing a well-concealed secret. Jimmy nodded and didn't allow jealousy to speak louder but he offered his understanding, instead.

"Lois, she's... she's taking care of everything."

"Where is she?"

"Turn to your left, down the hall. You'll find her talking to the hospital's director."

Clark thanked Jimmy for his silent understanding and for the information on Lois. Clark couldn't help but wonder why Lois needed to talk to the hospital's director.

------

She exhaled heavily, doing her best to keep her cool. "You're not listening to me, sir."

Clark heard Lois' voice and spotted her as soon as he walked from the corner.

"Miss, Lane. It's extremely important that we move on with the standards procedures. Especially on death cases. We have to..." The director was losing his patience.

"You have to do nothing." Lois interrupted, glaring at him. "If you touch a single string of hair of my cousin before my uncle gets here, I will sue you and this damn hospital. I'll make sure your face will appear in every newspaper front page... and I doubt that even vets would allow you to take care of their furry little patients after that."

Lois stood behind her threatening speech; her defying eyes burning with determination and pain.

The old doctor was tired of that conversation and reasoned it would be better to do what she wanted. "I give up. You do whatever you want... I'll be in my office. Just let me know when your uncle gets here. Can you do that?"

Lois found offensive the use of sarcasm in his tone, so she retorted. "I don't know. I'll think about it."

The old doctor shook his head in disbelief than turned and walked into in his office, letting the door slam shut behind his back. Lois closed her eyes and let out a breath she had been holding to help her to sustain her strong composure.

"What is it now?" She spat angrily, shoving away the hand that had friendly touched her shoulder. Lois allowed herself to relax a little, but only a little, when she saw it was Clark standing behind her. "Smallville..."

"I thought they'd only release you in the morning?" Clark wondered aloud, eyeing her from head to feet, noticing everyday-clothing instead of a hospital gray gown.

Lois rolled her eyes at his statement and began to walk. "I'm fine, Clark. Thanks for your concern on my behalf but it wouldn't do me any good to lay in bed and eat jello for dinner when my cousin's body is being removed to the morgue."

Clark swallowed hard as her words felt like a slap on his face.

Lois kept on walking, she hurried her pace when it looked like she couldn't find what she was looking for. "Damn it! This place sucks! I can't even find a paid-phone here!"

"Lois, wait!" Clark reached out and spun her around, holding her left arm.

Lois furiously glared at him, yanking her arm from his grip. "What's wrong with you? Don't you know I have zillion things to take care of?"

Clark didn't respond, he only gazed into her eyes. Lois pressed her lips, realizing the pain in his eyes and soon she felt like her act was threatened. She felt her core trembling and her eyes stinging with unshed tears. Clark pulled her into an embrace and hoped she wouldn't notice that he was shaking as well.

"I... I'm okay. Really..." She exclaimed behind a sniff then pulled away. "But thanks... I kinda needed that... that girly cuddling thing. It's not like I deserved any kind of comfort, though. At least, not according to the General."

"You called your dad?" Clark was a little amazed to hear her say that. Lois always claimed to be self-assured, an independent woman, a kick-ass chic that needed no man at her side because she was strong enough on her own.

Lois sarcasm had to kick in once more along with her frenetically non-stop babble. "Yeah, I did. I mean, you'd think your over protective military-father would jump into a helicopter and come for you when you tell him your cousin, who also happens to be your best friend just died. But what does he do, instead? He tells you that you're poison and that he'll never be able to forgive you for taking her away from him. Whatever that means. No... Seriously... Last time I checked, the whole uncle-niece thing between the General and Chloe narrowed to three words on holidays WHEN he decided to show up. But you can't actually blame the guy, can you? It's not like he's wrong. You know? He has all the rights to be mad at me because I did kill Chloe..."

Clark had been patiently listening to Lois empty herself because he knew if she didn't so, she would probably explode but her last words brought a new concern to his mind.

"Wait... What you mean you killed her?" He asked fearing the answer.

Lois nodded frenetically as she spoke, she even let out a bitter snort. "She warned me, Clark. Chloe told me to let go... that going against Lex Luthor was bound to be a disaster. But I was blind. I was selfish... and, and stubborn. I wanted to take him down for what he did to Wess, so I didn't listen to her. I thought she was trying to push me as far as possible from nailing a story worthy the Daily Planet's front page." She groaned, hating herself for letting her competitive instinct rule her. "God! What the hell was I thinking? This is Chloe I'm talking about... My cousin... She's more like a sister to me than Lucy ever was."

Clark felt like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders when she continued with her explanation.

"Lois... Lois? Stop! Okay? It wasn't your fault. You know Chloe craved for the truth behind Lex's darks deeds just as much as you do. Like getting herself into something extremely dangerous ever stopped her from doing what she thought was the right thing to do. Chloe knew the risks when she agreed to go with you..."

"No, Clark!" Lois' hands came up to his shoulders then she shook him, forcing him to stop talking. The tone in her voice intensified and her next words came heavy, full with maddening despair and regret. "The thing is... she didn't. I went to Reeves Damn on my own. I was searching the tunnels but I got caught."

What Clark saw in Lois eyes began to scare him. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

"Clark! I had a knife stuffed inside of me. The damn security guard butchered me. That bastard! I was bleeding like a dead pig hanging from its feet, Clark... I called Chloe then I passed out. When I woke up I found Chloe unconscious next to me and the wound was miraculously gone."

Lois' one-time-breath words were throwing him into confusion. The look of disbelief on his face must had been pretty obvious because she swiftly discharged her jacket then lifted her yellow shirt, displaying the spot on her abdomen where once was a horrendous wound and now glowed perfect skin.

Clark wasn't sure what he was looking at so he had to ask. "But Lois... there is no wound... not even a scratch there."

"Exactly! Haven't you been listening?" She scolded sharply while he still frowned in confusion. "I was hurt! Badly hurt! Like with one foot in the grave! I had to nail the knife out, myself, Clark! I'm not crazy! Something must have happened when Chloe found me. Because how can you explain that I'm standing here and Chloe is in that morgue when it was supposed to be otherwise?"

By the time Lois finished everyone in the hall was staring at them. Clark pulled her to a corner, doing everything in his power not to freak as well. His mind was racing and suddenly it was like memories flashed right before his eyes.

_"I'm a meteor freak, aren't I?" Chloe stated behind tears._

_"Face it, Clark... I'm a walking time bomb."_

"You know what? This is a total waste of time." Lois grumbled and began to walk away from Clark. Her hands quickly erasing all tracks that gave away she'd been crying.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Try to find a damn paid-phone and call my uncle to tell him to get his butt here ASAP, because I don't know how much longer I can keep these fancy butchers from opening Chloe up, take her gusts out then stuff a whole lot of smelly cotton inside her like a stuffed turkey on Thanks Giving."

Lois bitter words had some sort of a wakening effect on him. Clark stood there for a moment, he watched Lois argue with the receptionist and threaten to smash his face if he didn't let her use the phone.

"They haven't run the autopsy yet." Clark said under his breath in realization.

There was no thought to it; Clark knew what he had to do...

* * *

TBC 


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **Thank you, guys, for your words! This story is kinda old. I started it before this season's premiere and I'm still stuck. But I'll continue writing it. Again, thank you!

Oh… Please, let me know what you really think. If you think it sucks… Go ahead! Say it!

* * *

Chapter Three

There, he still stood. So many unknown faces passim him by…

His eyes browsed through every frame of life surrounding him. The thoughts that filled his mind were confusing. Somehow his super-hearing was activated and suddenly Clark was able to listen to everything. Babies crying near by, doctors' voices talking in mad rush, prayers being whispered, hyena laughs from nurses on their break, mothers' loving hummed lullabies, sobs of despair among indescribable shrieks of pain… Clark felt as if all of those sounds were increasing inside his head and he had to force himself to tear away from it all.

He knew why it happened. Lois' last words still echoed in the back of his mind and he couldn't help but wonder, and that was when the lost himself.

Lois stared at Clark and waited. She wasn't known by her abounding patience, and given the givens; she had no intentions to find out how long he would be able to stay in his inner world while her very own was falling apart. So, before she had another emotional breakdown, she torn him away from his thoughts by releasing a punch on his shoulder's side.

Clark winced a little, confusedly blinking until his senses were back to here and now.

"If you're not making yourself useful then leave, Smallville." Lois' voice came out harsh and bitter. "I don't need a body-guard here. Okay…"

Clark frowned at her statement, jumping in her mid-sentence. "Lois, I…"

"YOU'RE WHAT, CLARK?" Her glare laid on him and Clark knew that she wouldn't be able to hold much longer. "What? What?" Her aggressive attitude grew and she advanced on him; her voice wavering now. "I don't understand why you're here. Why are you here, Clark? Weren't you supposed to be grieving for Lana? I know you and Chloe were the best of friends but you've always been reckless with her feelings. So why start acting like you care now? What a cliché! Because taking from how 'wonderfully' you seem to be handling this, '_don't it always seem to go that we don't what we've got 'til it's gone'_ will be the next thing coming out of your mouth. And even if it sounded like the Counting Crows' version, it'd still be only hypocritical of y…"

"You can think whatever you want, Lois. But you can't say I never cared for Chloe. She is my best friend." Clark resented her words ad almost ended up releasing things he normally wouldn't. "I'd die for her."

Lois was losing control; she let out a sarcastic chuckle then added. "If that's so… Where were you when she needed you the most, Clark?"

Clark felt something going up his spine; he felt anger sting him but he knew why Lois was acting like that. He had witnessed her little breakdown minute before, when she practically confessed it was her fault that Chloe had died. And now she needed someone else to blame.

He looked at her; Lois stood her ground, although she still shunned looking directly into his eyes. She knew if she did it, he would see the amount of unshed tears her eyes held.

"Lois, listen…" Clark spoke again after a long and much needed pause. "There's something I think you should know. It's about…"

"Jimmy!"

Clark heard her whisper and he was confused.

Lois put on a determinate look, turned around and simply let. Clark watched her walk away but didn't bother to move to stop her. In fact, he needed her to be as far away as possible from him right now. He cursed himself for stupidly thinking he could tell Lois about Chloe's condition as meteor infected and about his suspicious. Thankfully she didn't even given him a chance to say much.

Taking a deep breath, Clark looked around…

---------------------

"Oh my God! Let me see it"

The young intern leaned over the empty metal table and her colleague swiftly worked on the lock pf her necklace then proudly displayed the jewelry, dangling it like she was trying to hypnotize someone.

"Wow! Is it real?" The brunette asked after admiring the bright shiny rock attached to the dancing golden necklace then she moved to the other side o the room. Her friend followed her as she spoke.

"Well… it is real and… it's not." Melanie hesitated a little but still had a grin reaching both of her ears. "It's a meteor rock… But still… We're not officially engaged, anyway."

Karen's feature was a little twisted as she spoke. "A meteor rock? He could have given you something better."

"Hey! Watch it! Leo loves me and besides…"

Melanie paused in her talking when she heard Karen sigh as they walked to a corpus. It was covered and the young intern grabbed the panel on the end of the table to read its record.

"Oh my God… She was so young…" Karen softened her voice and sympathy overwhelmed her.

"She? What's her name?" Curiosity was a great aspect of Melanie's character; her eyes even had excitement in them as she asked.

Karen's eyes lowered then she read it aloud. "Chloe Sullivan…. She died a few hours ago."

"A few hours?"

Melanie had frowns on her forehead and once again curiosity spoke louder. She lifted the blanket revealing Chloe's face.

"She was beautiful… Poor girl…" Karen sincerely offered then covered Chloe's face again. "You know… Sometimes I ask myself why I chose to be a doctor. I mean… I can't seem to get used to this morgue, or watch all of these people dying every single day… so many children…"

"And you still want to convince me this God of yours is sooo merciful, sooo caring and forgiving? That everything he does is right and good… Do you honestly think your God was fair with this poor girl? Do you think that being so young she managed to live her dreams… find the lover of her life?"

Karen only lifted her eyes to look at her friend; she didn't have to word her answer.

"Come on, Karen! You can't be that naïve!"

"Mel, God is merciful… and caring… and forgiving. And Yes! Everything He does is good… and perfect. We've been given free will but everything that happens in our lives has a purpose."

Both girls walked away from the tables and went to discard their gloves in the trash.

"So you're saying this girl's death has some sort of a greater purpose?"

"Exactly!"

Melanie was never a believer but she admired her friend for being so full of faith and hope. She smiled at the thought but felt like it was time to change the subject.

"Whatever you say, Karen. All I know is… Leo is going to propose!!!"

Karen rolled her eyes at her friend and began to head to the door. "You've been saying Leo is going to propose for the past three years…"

"This time is different… He gave me the necklace, didn't he?!!!" Melanie took the necklace from her pocket and displayed it again.

"He only did it to get into your pants." Karen commented and gained a mischievous grin from her friend.

"Leo got into my pants way before that, hon!"

Melanie's laughs filled the cold morgue and Karen's mouth fell open.

"Geez, Karen! You're such a saint! Don't tell me that you didn't know about me and Leon… you know…"

"Honestly, I…"

Melanie ran back to the other side of the morgue and opened a drawer. She had left her watch in it and almost forgot about it. When she made her way back to the door, somehow she stumbled and her white coat got stuck to the table where Chloe's body laid. Melanie tried to pull it but predicted the fabric would rip. She let go of her necklace, placing it over the blanket and then carefully managed to free her coat.

"Come on, Mel! I'm starving!"

"I almost ripped ruined my coat."

"A small punishment for being the slut you are. Don't you think?" Karen's comment entertained her friend.

Melanie left her spot and sped up playfully, ushering her friend through the door…

---------------------

Clark was standing close to the morgue. He watched two young women walk out; they were laughing and playing with each other. He waited until they disappeared.

His eyes held great fear and hesitation in them as he stood, facing the morgue. He looked around and tried to act as if he was pacing back and forth, like he was waiting to visit someone or waiting for a doctor to come and give him news. As he carefully paced, he began to ask himself what he was doing. He couldn't find a reasonable thing that explained what he was about to do except for what he felt.

"What am I doing? This is crazy... I must..."

Clark mumbled to himself and began to gain distance from the morgue. It was when he convinced himself he was losing it just like Lois that a throbbing sound came to his ears again; the same weak pounding of heart he thought he had heard when he was talking to his mother in his living room.

The sound made him stop and listen, but it didn't take more than a few seconds to cease. Closing his eyes Clark wished it was only a dream but reality was rough and he had to face his fears.

Walking backwards Clark carefully made his way to the morgue again. He wasn't sure why he didn't use his super-speed to sneak in without being seen, but it was too late for that because he was already in.

--------------------------------------------------------

The Luthor's mansion had always inspired some kind of wonder. A certain cold mystery soared around that place, and given the latest events, it seemed even darker and colder than ever...

"Thought at least you would wait until I'm officially declared guilty of my wife's murder to take over everything I own, father."

Lex's surly sneered, his voice loudly echoing while he made his way into the office.

Lionel Luthor was comfortably reclined on the black leather sofa; a glass of scotch decorated his hand as much as a cynic forged smile decorated his lips.

"The lack of memory of yours is very impressive, my son." Lionel's bitterly smirked behind his half-empty glass and after taking another sip, he added. "Everything you are, your wealth, your bitterness, your cruelty... You owe all that to me."

A short cynic snort escaped Lex's mouth. He calmly stepped closer to where his father rested, his eyes shinning out a subtle proud glare that silently defied his father.

"There was a time where I would deeply resent your non-existent emotional side... but I have to confess, dad... Now, I'm thankful for that."

"I don't regret everything I taught you, Lex..." Lionel left his spot and placed his glass over the table. "However… if I had the chance I would it so differently... You may not believe it, son, but I have changed."

"I think I might shed a tear... Please, spare me of the father-of-the-year's speech. It doesn't suit you... Now, may I ask you what you're doing in my house?"

"I came to see you... I worry about you, Lex."

Lionel's behavior was an eternal puzzle and it bewildered anyone around him as much as it surprisingly still amused his son.

Lex turned on his heels and stared at his father again. "And do you really expect me to believe that?"

There were no words spoken, Lionel and Lex knew each other extremely well and even though neither of them wanted to admit, they were very much like each other. Lionel allowed a cryptic grin to appear on his lips, slightly bowing with his head then leaving his son to stand alone in a complete intrigued state of mind...

--------------------------------------------------------

"So?"

Martha began for the thousandth time but Kara didn't seem to grasp what that act meant. The girl carefully studied everything; her big green eyes widening at each step taken. It looked liked she was memorizing everything, or like she was searching her memories, matching her previous knowledge with the new world presented to her.

Martha smiled awkwardly when Kara's gaze laid on her figure. She felt a little bit uncomfortable, not sure of what to say but she decided to try again.

"W... w... Why were you sent here?" The older woman's lips quivered as that sentence was uttered.

"I'm here for Kal-El" Kara responded, adding seconds later. "I'm here to help him fulfill his destiny."

Martha felt her stomach cringe when the word 'destiny' was brought up. She couldn't help the outraging pulse in her veins.

"What is it that Jor-El wants with my son? Isn't everything that already happened enough? We lost Johnatan on account of Jor-El's plans for Clark. Neither one of us want to have anything to do with that so-called destiny your people have planned for Clark. Why don't you just leave us alone?"

At that moment Kara was given the privilege to contemplate how brave Martha was. Kara knew she wasn't going to give up her son that easy. Martha's words had come out strong and even a little harsh but there was no doubt they were full of love, caring and concern.

The unattainable composure Kara was holding suddenly changed into a relaxed one. Her robotic features soothed and she walked to where Martha stood. Her eyes studied Martha for a little while and a small smile broke onto her face.

"Kal-El is lucky."

Martha was surprised with Kara's words; she moved her mouth but only sounds were heard and before she could put a sentence together the young kryptonian spoken again.

"You're a woman of honor, Martha... I can see you love Kal-El with all of your heart... If only I had the same luck..."

Silence took over them, Martha wasn't sure how it happened but she knew a bond was created between her and Kara, she felt an unknown feeling warming her heart and felt thankful for that...

--------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy still sat on the same plastic chair Clark had found him. His eyes still had the same lifeless blur and his body didn't move much. His mind asked himself how he had managed to get to the hospital so quickly since he was thousands of miles away from Smallville – an assignment that would push his career to the top a little bit faster – and now there he was, facing the fact that he lost the one that probably had the possibility to become the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. Another tear fell but he didn't mind brushing it away...

"You!"

Jimmy heard a strong loud voice talking directly to him. He lifted his eyes and found Lois standing in front of him. Indeed, Jimmy wasn't moving much but the way Lois kept pacing from one side to the other didn't go unnoticed by him.

"You! Get your skinny ass up from this chair and go make yourself useful!"

Lois ordered sternly then went back to pace in the same frenetic manner. Her words did nothing but bring frowns to Jimmy. He stared at her, not grasping what she meant. Lois noticed the puzzle look Jimmy held and verbally attacked him again.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that, Jimbo? Huh? Can't understand English or something?"

"I always knew the wires in your head were kinda screwy but this is too much."

"Ah... we are funny now..." Lois still had the same determinate look when she left Clark. She placed her hands on her hips then narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"No... it's not like that... It's just..." Jimmy scoffed and for an instant buried his face in his hands then he turned to Lois again. "I don't get it. What do you want me to do, Lois?"

"I don't know." She yelled in response, her hands doing several moves against the air as she spoke. "You're driving me nuts buy sitting in that chair with these big... f.. frog eyes or whatever."

"What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know! Just do something! Anything! Get out of my way! Go take pictures of Big-Foot or something! Just move!"

Jimmy watched Lois act even crazier than her usual self and it hit him. He figured out how much she was suffering. Chloe once told him about Lois never giving up on her a few years before when in order to protect herself, Chloe had to fake her own death. How terrible it was for Lois to surrender because there was nothing she or anyone else could do to change what happened. Even though Jimmy understood the hell she was going through, he thought it was rude of Lois to attack him and demand the impossible from him so he jumped in his defense.

"I don't want believe she's really gone either, Lois. And if I could bring her back, I would. But I can't do that." Jimmy's voice was strong and full of sorrow. The two stared each other for a moment. "I'm sorry, Lois but sit in that chair and feel sorry for myself is all I can do right now. I know it's low and weak but... it's all I can do."

Lois felt something revolving inside of her and for once she decided to remain in silence. The tension hanging between them was broken when Jimmy's phone rang. He sighed and reached the machine in his pocket.

"Yes? Oh... No, mom. They haven't released her body yet... Okay... Thanks... Bye..."

Jimmy had turned his back to Lois when talking to his mother. When he ended the call, Lois' eyes were drawn to the silver machine in his hand.

"Lois Lane, for a bright girl, you can be really dull sometimes." Lois grumbled under her breath, releasing a slap at her forehead.

Without asking, she stole the phone from Jimmy's hand and began to dial. Jimmy wanted to protest but she told him to shut up and go back to his chair...

---------------------

Being the stronger man on Earth wasn't much of a help right now. Clark carefully closed the door behind himself; he tried his best not make any sound, so no one would find him there. So much assailed his mind and he felt like his feet were chained to the ground; he wasn't sure if he couldn't move or if he didn't really want to.

Clark's eyes let out so much fear as they scanned every corner of that morgue. He felt his heart sinking when he spotted two bodies; they were covered. Clark thought of using his x-ray vision but felt like he would be invading Chloe's privacy.

He slowly tip-toed, approaching one of the bodies. Somehow he didn't need to use his vision, Clark felt like there was some sort of a force that pulled him closer. His breathing became shallow when he looked down at the blue sheet covered. His left hand automatically lifted and almost relinquished its movement but Clark had to know; he had to see her for one last time, so he carefully uncovered the face.

Clark felt his body beginning to tremble. His mouth went dry and his lips quivered. He felt his eyes burn with tears as he looked at Chloe's ashen face.

"Chloe…" He uttered weakly, his voice shaken, tuned barely above a whisper.

Clark didn't know why he felt so weak before Chloe's lifeless body. He didn't quite understand why he was drawn to that place and why he had to look at her face one last time. So many doubts tortured him; his own emotions being unknown to him.

As he looked down at her, Clark thought of all the times they had spent together. When they first met each other, all those times when she tried to figure him out, her words pushing him, encouraging him, defying him… Clark saved her life so many times but Chloe had her turn to be the hero and save him too.

Clark couldn't count all the times he felt naked before her eyes; it was as if she could she see right through him, like she knew him better than he knew himself. Whatever there was between them, it was more than just friendship but what it really was, Clark couldn't tell and maybe he was even afraid to.

A sob escaped his lips and his left hand came to rest on the other side of the table so her body was under his arm. As his hand landed on the sheet Clark felt something with tiny sharp ends touch his palm but paid no mind to it; he couldn't be hurt, not physically anyway.

He continued to look at her and wished the right words would come. But what would he say? And would it matter now she wasn't at his side? Clark couldn't contain the urge so he cupped her face with his right hand. A tear drop ran freely down his cheek landing on her neck. Subconsciously his thumb softly ran across her cold skin.

"I'm so sorry..." He cried burying his face in her collarbone for a second. "I loved Lana so much but I knew she wouldn't be by my side and I could live with that... But... you... I never thought I'd lose you, Chloe... What am I gonna do without you?"

Clark was overwhelmed with emotions and suddenly he felt something hot on his palm, it was almost like his skin was being burned. But how was that possible? Something was ignited because although it wasn't the same effect green kryptonite had over him, Clark could tell his strength was somehow being drained out of his body. He looked down at his right hand, it still clutched Chloe's skin and what he saw caused his eyes to widen in fear. Several purple trails appeared on her skin; they were like veins and something vividly run through them.

Clark had to gasp because at each second that went by his body got weaker, though it was different; he wasn't hurt, it didn't pain him. He tried to remove his hand from Chloe's face but couldn't.

"But..."

He wanted to understand what was happening, and as he searched his mind that same weak throbbing sound came back to his ears, increasing the mess of thoughts in his head. The sound slowly became louder; too loud that Clark felt the urge to cover his ears but couldn't move his hands away. He had to fight against that mysterious force and just like it began, suddenly an electrical charge was released, leaving Clark on the floor.

His right hand was no longer on Chloe's face. Clark opened his left palm, his skin was burned. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the wound, he saw something shinny – a necklace with a bright rock for a pendent – he turned his palm down letting the necklace fall to the ground. Clark panted and when he was about to stand, something startled him.

"Clark..."

His heart was already out of its normal pace and now it went wild. He feared it was his imagination but after what had just happened he knew it wasn't; it couldn't be. Clark felt like a battery recharged when he stood, his eyes intensely looking at her face but she didn't move. Closing his eyes, he was ready to succumb...

"Clark..."

He turned and enveloped Chloe in his arms, desperately calling out to her.

"Chloe! CHLOE!"

Hope overfloated his heart as her lids sluggishly began to flutter.

"Clark..."

She whispered again and he tightened his grip around her, being careful at his best not to crush her. Chloe was extremely weak but she managed to lift her arms and lock them around Clark's body.

"Chloe... I... I thought..."

Clark tried to put a sentence together but couldn't. Feeling her heart beating against his chest was like a drug to him and he needed to feel it more and more. They remained in each other's arms until Chloe let her arms fall to her sides. Clark pulled away only to cup her face with his hands again.

She frowned and took a look around. "Where am... Is... is this a morgue? Clark? What am I doing here?"

Chloe was confused to say the least. She tried to rely on her memory but everything was a blur.

She felt cold touching her skin and tried to securely hold the sheet around her body. Clark immediately took of his red jacket then placed it around her shoulders.

Something hit her because she unexpectedly got out. "Lois!! Where is she? Clark? Is she okay?" Her eyes were now frightened, tears streamed down her face and she was starting to lose control. "Clark... What is going on? I don't understand..."

"Shhhh... sh..." Clark lightly placed a finger over her lips. A shy smile threatening to break as he softly spoke to her. "Later..."

Breathing deeply Clark took her in his arms...

---------------------

"I can't believe your flight got canceled, uncle Gabe..." Lois spoke over the phone as she aimlessly walked through the corridors of the hospital.

She nodded, listening what Gabe had to say. "Okay... I'll do that... Don't worry."

She finished the call and her eyes were dragged by the tag on one of the doors.

_Morgue_

Lois lowered her eyes and her thoughts were back to Clark. She regretted treating him so rudely before. She knew he did care for Chloe. She took Jimmy's phone in her hands again and dialed Clark's number. She wanted to apologize and ask him to stay with her and help her with the funeral. She began to step away from the morgue but stopped when Clark didn't answer. She dialed again and again nothing. She insisted and her ears were able to grasp something coming from inside the morgue. Lois couldn't believe it so she glued her ear to the door and dialed Clark's number again. The muffled ringing sound was again heard and she ended the call; the sound stopped.

"That bastard..."

She was furious just by thinking Clark was inside that morgue. She had to see it for herself.

Lois took a deep breath and stormed inside the morgue. Her eyes almost coming out of her face before the sight of Chloe in Clark's arms; nothing but his red jacket to cover her body.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lois was already advancing on him, ready to bash him for whatever she thought he was doing. "You stupid farm-boy. Why would y..."

"Lois?"

Lois froze at the sound of her name being uttered. Her eyes grew even wider when she saw Chloe lifting her head up...

* * *

TBC 


	4. Chapter 4 Part One

**Author's note**: Hello people!! Glad to know you're enjoying it. From now on you will find lost of events that were actually in some episodes. I twisted them a little so they would fit in my plot.

Again… Feedeback is always welcome!!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Part One

_Lois took a deep breath and stormed inside the morgue. Her eyes almost coming out of her face before the sight of Chloe in Clark's arms; nothing but his red jacket to cover her body._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lois was already advancing on him, ready to bash him for whatever she thought he was doing. __"You stupid farm-boy. Why would y..."_

"_Lois?"_

_Lois froze at the sound of her name being uttered. Her eyes grew even wider when she saw Chloe lifting her head up..._

Lois' intention to rave through everything and anything that came in her way instantly subsided the second she heard Chloe's voice whispering her name. Her eyes were lager in shock, stunned at the scene in front of her; heart pounding strong and fast, legs and arms devoid of any kind of motion.

It wasn't until now that Chloe was able to actually feel some pain. As she tilted her head up to look at Lois, she felt pain crawling through her body; she whimpered lightly.

"Lois... you're okay." Chloe weakly mumbled, letting out a faltering trembled smile, she closed her eyes for a second, ensconcing herself in Clark's arms and returned to rest her head on his shoulder. "I knew you would make it, Lo..."

Lois could no longer sustain her tough attitude, her lips quivered, tears freely streamed down her face and she was taken aback; even when she was the one needing rescue Chloe found a way and allowed her concern for her loved ones have the stage.

Feeling her legs would fail her any minute, Lois moved closer to Chloe. "Shhh... Don't speak, honey." Said Lois under her sobs. "You're gonna be okay..."

Lois' hands framed Chloe's face and her moves became rushed, thoughtless and a little bit desperate. She roamed her hands quickly over Chloe's arms, legs and chest; Lois was trying to make sure it wasn't a product of her own imagination and that Chloe was indeed alive.

"Smallville?" Lois turned her eyes to Clark now; sparkles mixed with relief and joy in them. "What the hell are you waiting for, Clark? Don't just stand there! Move!"

Lois rushed to the door and swung it opened. As soon as her feet touched the hall her frantic yells echoed. "HEY! WE NEED A DOCTOR HERE!"

As Lois held the door open Clark stepped out of the morgue with Chloe in his arms.

"A DORCTOR!" Lois looked around her; some of the hospital staff that was passing by still didn't understand what was going on. "Damn it!" She cursed lowly and went to get help. "How these morons got allowed to save people's lives?" She spotted three doctors about to turn the corner down the hall. "HEY? YOU THERE? WE NEED HELP! MY COUSIN IS ALIVE!"

The three young men eyed each other briefly then ran as fast as their feet could go. Without giving a second thought one of them invaded an exam room and ordered Clark to lay Chloe down.

"What happened?" Dr. Chebli asked while sliding the gloves on.

Clark dared to explain but Lois shortly cut him. "She was believed to be dead but as you can see..." She glared at him briefly. "... she's not. And you're asking me what happened?"

Soon the room was invaded by nurses, they pushed Clark and Lois aside to clear the way; all of them doing their best to find out what was going on in Chloe's body.

Chloe overlooked at Clark and faintly smiled...

--------------------

Jimmy watched Lois take off with his cel-phone and now was wondering where she might had gone, he was about to ask for information when a crew of doctors and nurses almost rolled over him as they ran to save a life. He watched everything with bewildered eyes; sure he wasn't a reporter but his instincts just set him to a restless state.

_Something's not right._ Jimmy thought but then did his best to shrug it off. It was a hospital, nurses and doctor bouncing from there to everywhere was more than normal. Still, he couldn't remain in that chair any longer. Jimmy stood and began to wander through the hospital, eyes searching every corner until he caught a glimpse of Lois and Clark being pushed out of a room. He froze as his mind tried to pull trick on him.

Lois stood beside Clark, a hand touching her chest as she tried to see anything past the glassed wall and the mass of people around Chloe. Her eyes strayed for a second and found Jimmy's. The skinny photographer frowned and something in Lois' eyes made him question if his mind was actually tricking him.

Feeling his breath get caught in his chest Jimmy practically moved in slow motion, heading to where Lois and Clark stood and as every step he took Lois' lips slowly shaped into a hopeful grin.

"Wha... what's..." Jimmy stammered, he was terrified what the answer might be but Lois put him out of his struggle. Lois' right hand grabbed Jimmy's shoulder, spinning him around so he faced the glassed wall. He was confused. He looked ahead and all he could see was a bunch of doctors in white, green and blue clothing, all of them working as maniacs. "What am I looking at, Lois? I don't..." Words evaded him right then as he caught a glimpse of blonde hair. "But... How... Is she..."

"She's alive..." Clark was the one talking now. His voice sounded heavy but incredibly joyful. Jimmy's head tilted up so his eyes were on Clark's level. They stared at each other knowingly. "Chloe's alive, Jimmy!"

Jimmy let out a breath he'd been holding, allowing himself to relax a little. So many questions popped into his mind, probably the same questions that were now haunting Lois but it didn't really matter. Chloe had returned to them, she was alive and that was all they needed to know...

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_At Kent's farm..._

Another brand new day had dawned, bringing sunlight to bathe every being and every single aspect of life, making the past days of pure obscure chaos melt into only shady memories of a bad dream...

Staring out the window, Martha heard her thoughts. _One thing remains, though... No... two... __Chloe and Lana... They're dead..._

The mature redhead felt fresh tears filling her eyes but the sudden abrupt swing of the front door being opened startled her away from her thoughts.

"Clark!" Martha exclaimed, leaving her spot next to the window.

Martha frowned. Her son's face held a certain look that simply intrigued her. Clark was smiling, his breathing was short in excitement and his eyes beamed with something she couldn't exactly describe. Both, mother and son faced each other for a moment, none of them daring to say a word. Clark's arms flew and soon were wrapped around his mother, holding her in a tender embrace. Martha blinked rapidly still confused by they way he was acting.

"Clark?"

A smothered laugh coming out of his mouth was what she heard as she felt him tightening his grip around her. A few more laughs echoed until Clark finally pulled away.

"She's alive, mom..." He spoke with a smile plastered on and tears in his eyes. The frowns in Martha's forehead were still pretty visible even after Clark's first words. "Chloe is alive, mom... She's alive."

Martha breathed deeply and Clark threw himself into his mother's arms again. She held him as tight as he did instants before. Her heart now without the pressure she felt during the past long hours she'd been awake.

"Oh God... Clark!" She exclaimed as joy and relief warmed her heart. "But... how... How is it possible?"

As both pulled away again Clark's smile slowly faded. He knew for sure Lois was questioning how it was possible that Chloe and herself were still alive after all and he predicted his mother would be no different. Clark saw concern crossing her eyes when he looked at his mother.

"I... I really... don't know, mom." He lowered his eyes as if in shame. Truth was that he truly didn't know but he suspected it.

Clark put some distance between himself and his mother and then took a seat on the couch. Martha knew her soon too well; his body language always said more than his lips ever could.

"What is it, Clark? What are you not telling me?" Martha followed his move and took a seat at his side.

"Mom..." He began with caution. "Chloe... well... She's infected with kryptonite."

Martha's mouth hung opened to the revelation. Her mind raced and thoughts of Chloe's _adventures_ as a teenager seemed to invade her, as well as all the times Chloe got herself involved with the so-called meteor-freaks. _She had it coming._ Martha bitterly mused. Suddenly she couldn't help but feel for Chloe again. Even though Martha and Johnatan were always against Clark revealing his secret, once Chloe confessed she knew about it, everything changed; Clark changed. Somehow Martha was sure Chloe was a big, if not a major, part of the process where Clark was finally beginning to accept and embrace his true nature. The very thought of all Chloe had done and sacrificed for Clark brought an absentminded smile to Martha.

"Oh... Chloe... My dear Chloe... What have you done to yourself?" Martha said lowly then added. "She kept digging... deeper and deeper... pushing further and further until she truly made herself part of this whole mess."

Clark only nodded at his mother's statement. Even though so many times before his parents and Chloe reassured him the meteor showers were not his fault in any way, he still couldn't help but feel responsible no matter what they said.

I know, mom." He got out lowly. "Being meteor infected has never been in her pl..."

"Meteor infected?"

Martha and Clark were brought to here and now by the sound of Kara's voice.

"Kara!" Clark exclaimed standing up.

The blond kryptonian made her way downstairs, her eyes studying Clark. "What's meteor infected?" She walked closer to him and now she was barely a few feet away. "This term was not in the database of my ship."

"These meteor rocks... they... they are called kryptonite. Earth was showered by them the same day I landed here."

Kara nodded but frowned. "How did they get here? And why they are called kryptonite? Does it have anything to do with our planet?"

Silence filled the room, Clark and Martha exchanged glances unsure of what to reveal. Kara stood there, her eyes shifting from Clark to Martha, she could sense they were hesitating.

Clark predicted what Kara's next words would be so he spoke. "Kara... You and I need to talk... but I can't... At least, not right now."

"I'm not going anywhere, Kal-El."

Kara's face held a genuine smile, it was simple and somewhat inspiring. Clark allowed himself to do same and for the first time after finding out about her, Clark brought his arms to hug her.

Martha watched in silence, a smile on her face told that her concerns over Clark had soothed. Martha had left to Washington but her heart stayed with her son in Smallville. She knew he had Chloe, Lois and even Lionel but Clark was a loner and it worried her. But somehow Kara's presence made her realize that maybe kryptonians were not heartless hinds after all.

"Ahem..." Martha cleared her throat, her action causing Clark and Kara to pull away. "Well, since everything is back to normal..." Clark had to arch an eyebrow at his mother's pick of words; she got the joke and chuckled quietly. "... Anyway... I have to go back to Washington ASAP. Are you sure you're going to be okay, Clark?"

"Yes! I am! Don't worry, mom."

Martha sighed heavily and although she felt relief easing her, she couldn't deny an inner voice that spoke ever so lowly, saying Clark had finally accepted the fact he could not escape whatever destiny Jor-El had planned for him; Martha knew things would never be the same and neither would Clark...

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Being known by impulsive thoughtless acts wasn't something she would brag about. She parked her car and didn't even bother to lock it up, she was angry, determined to get in no matter what, and as predicted the security didn't allow her in. Inside from the surveillance camera, he watched everything. A gloating grin crept on his lips seeing her uselessly struggle, trying to get rid of the security.

"Bring her to me." He ordered through intercom. He repositioned himself in his black leather chair, staring at the door, waiting for his visitor to come in.

"I said, TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME, YOU SHWAZINIDIOTS!"

The sound of her outraged complaints arrived first and a few seconds later, with both of her arms held, Lois was escorted in by the security guards. She struggled a little more and they finally let go of her.

"Everything is fine. You can go now." Lex ordered seeing his men wouldn't leave until he told them so.

"Yes, sir!"

Lois fixed her red jacket and still held a defying look on her face.

"Lois Lane..." Lex began. "Would you mind explaining why did I earn the honor of having my house be invaded by a muffing-peddler-drop-out?"

"Investigative reporter..." She corrected him with fire shooting out from her eyes. Lex chuckled lightly but not quite. "I didn't come here to play games, Lex." Her glare intensified as she took a few steps closer to his desk. "I know you did something to me and to my cousin. And..."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nice puppy face, Lex. It kinda suits you. But I am no fool. I know you've been experimenting on people and I know you did something to me and Chloe back in the Dam... I don't know what you did yet... But I'm going to find out. And when I do... you're gonna go down so hard that you won't even know what hit you."

Lex still had a malicious grin plastered on when he started clapping. "Marvelous... You're a really good actress. For an instant I almost believed you were actually threatening me."

Silence walked in but their anger spoke for itself. Lois was the one to break eye contact. Turning upon her heels she left...

----------------------------------------------

Hours flew and quickly everything was set back in place. Martha returned to Washington, Chloe left the hospital and Clark back to his life at the farm...

"I like it here." Kara mumbled feeling Clark's presence behind her.

She was at the barn looking out into the sky. Memories rushed in her mind as one question still screamed in her hears.

"Those meteor rocks... kryptonite... I guess I stumbled on some of them..." She had her back to Clark and now she turned to face him. "They keep weakening me... Why?"

There was so much Clark and Kara needed to discuss, so much to be revealed. Clark finished to climb the stairs, the sign of sadness in his eyes and his hesitation did not go unnoticed by Kara.

"Kal-El..."

"It's Clark."

"I'm sorry... I can't get used to your Earth name." She apologized quietly and a smile appeared on her face.

"What?"

"You were the cutest baby I'd ever seen." Her smile grew, her unpredicted comment causing Clark to blush. "I used to tickle your sides, feet... Oh... Your giggles were so cute..." Kara stopped noticing Clark was a little embarrassed.

He let out a nervous laugh, his fingers briefly running through his hair. "It's weird... listen you talk about me as a baby when you practically my age."

"I've been frozen in time... So much had happened and there was nothing I could do..." Kara's face was serious all of the sudden. "But I hope I'm not too late..."

"Too late?"

"Yes... You and I, Kal-El. We are the key to save Krypton. Zor-El, my father, Jor-El's brother... He told me that we were the only ones that could help our planet. There's so much we need to do..."

Clark didn't know what he felt when he listened to her words. It was a mix of sadness, frustration and so many other feelings he couldn't exactly identify. "Kara..." He interrupted.

"Yes, Kal-El."

"About Krypton... Well... Those meteor rocks..."

"Kryptonite?!" She supplied and he nodded.

"They are from our planet... Parts of our planet... actually."

Kara frowned in confusion. "But how? Why? I don't understand..."

"Krypton was destroyed, Kara... It exploded... You and I are the only survivors."

Clark was holding back before revealing the truth to her, he wanted to find the right words but there was no other way to say that than just saying it. She stared at him, tears springing in her eyes as realization dawned.

"Exploded?" Her voice echoed lowly. "My mother... Lara... They're all..."

Kara couldn't bring herself to say it. A sob escaped her lips and tears were already soiling her flawless face. Clark pulled her into a hug until she slipped away from his touch.

"So... it's over... We lost... Zod won... I'm too late... The destruction, it was all my fault."

"Don't say that." Clark spoke again. His hands over her shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. You were trapped inside that ship for eighteen years, Kara. Jor-El took away eighteen years of your life because he believed you were some kind of her hero. HE had no right to throw this burden on you... on us..."

"What are you talking about? Jor-El didn't send me." Kara was now the one unfolding the truth.

"No?"

"No... and... Yes... Zor-El and Jor-El never got along. They fought all the time, disagreement was the key word to describe their relationship. Lara, your mother, she convinced my father to send me to help you. She was the one that introduced me in Jor-El's training program, Kal-El."

"What's that supposed to mean? Why my mother would send you?"

"Because she loved you... When she found out she was pregnant... It was the best day of her entire life. Lara knew you would need someone close to you... someone who loved you..."

What Kara had just revealed touched Clark deeply. He knew about his birth mother but never really thought of her as a caring loving person who had to give up her only son so he could become a savior to all breathing being. That very thought brought a shy fainting smile to his lips.

The tenderness that moment held suddenly switched into hurried need for answers. Clark questioned Kara about her so-called destiny but the girl could not say much.

"Let me see I got this straight... You come here and tell me that you've been sent to help me but you don't know much about what you're supposed to do... Is that a joke?" Clark let out an exasperated sigh, still unable to believe his cousin's words.

Kara nodded and ordered Clark to follow her. Because of all the chaos that surrounded him, Clark chose to have Kara's spaceship hidden down in the bottom of the river once again. He reasoned it would be the best place to hide the alien object since it had been there for so long and no one came across it and that's where they were headed.

"What are we doing here?" Clark asked as him and Kara stood on the river's side.

"My ship... it holds all the answers, Kal-El. What I am here for and how I'm supposed to proceed from now on."

With that brief explanation Kara dived into the river, looking for her ship. Clark did nothing but wait for her to surface with the object in her hands. Only a few minutes had passed when Kara came out of the water. Her soft features were twisted and blurred with pure fear; Clark held her gaze until she spoke.

"My ship... it's gone..."

* * *

TBC 


	5. Chapter 4 Part Two

**Author's note**: Hi there people!! Thanks for replying!!

Like I've mentioned before, this story is kinda old and what you're going to find in this chapter is not much of a surprise. I twisted the events of the real episode a little to fit into what I have planed. There are real lines from the characters. So, the next chapter will up soon, then you can understand why I'm doing it.

Again, thanks for reading!!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Part Two

"_My ship... It's gone..."_

Clark's eyes widened in alarm as well.

"Gone?" He frowned, taking a step forward. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I've searched everywhere. We need to find it."

The seriousness in her tone revealed it wasn't plain concern over humans finding the ship, but she didn't stay to give Clark any further information. Her eyes clouded and in a blink of an eye she took flight and left him.

Clark stared up into the blue sky wondering where she might had gone...

---------------------

"Kara?" Clark's voice loudly echoed the moment he burst into his house; his eyes searching for her face.

"Aahhhh!!!!"

Clark heard a shriek and turned to see who it came from.

"Geez, Smallville! Wanna give me a heart attack?"

Lois was at his kitchen when he came in. Clark tried to disguise and even act normal, or at least, as normal as he could be.

"Lois? What are you doing in my house?"

Lois' head snapped up as if it was the most ridiculous question in the world. "I come here all the time."

"My mom is in Washington. There's no reason for you to come here anymore."

It was true the two of them couldn't stand each other much, and that they couldn't spend more than five minutes in a room without bickering but Clark's words were a little too harsh. Lois was surprised and even resentful; she considered him a friend, after all.

She needed a second or two to recompose from the shock of his words, when she was ready to slap him with one of her great remarks she noticed that Clark stood in complete and total odd awkwardness. He kept glancing up to the stairs, shifting his weight to one leg to another, then it hit her.

"What are you hiding, Smallville?"

"What?"

Suspicious in her eyes burned, energizing her with intense curiosity. "Who's Kara?"

"No one." He spat quickly in response. Lois walked forward, her eyes narrowed in wonder as she studied him. "No... one... you know... I mean..."

She nodded her head at his statement, her lips pressed up together, twitching a little to one side. Lois took a moment and still studied him with her eyes. It was like she was trying to read his mind as he stood there. Clark felt extremely uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that he had to break the silence.

"Lois?" His voice came out a little louder than he intended it.

She tilted her head to the side, shaking it a little. Lois reasoned to herself it was better not to pressure Clark into saying anything, besides, she was sure whatever he had to tell her, it wasn't anything interesting, anyway. "You, big boy, are coming with me."

"Lois... Listen..." Clark began, searching his mind for an excuse to ditch her.

"Oh, don't you even dare to give me lame excuses. I know you got nothing going on in your life right now... or ever..." She commented earning a skeptical look from him. "And I would be more than glad to do this on my own but I still get lost in this small town, which is something I am not proud of, considering God found this tow so plain that even himself forgot all about it – you know, putting it that way, it even makes sense to be confused around Smallville's wild forest – if those bushes can even be called forest or wild for that matter..."

"Lois?"

Lois got lost in her own senseless babbling so Clark had to snap her out and back to here and now.

"What?"

"You want me to go where exactly?"

"Well... I was at the Inquisitor and I kinda overheard one of my editors mentioning something about an unidentified object in Smallville's whereabouts..."

Something hit him as Lois continued with her on-and-on-not-so-blathering talk; his thoughts were immediately on Kara's ship.

"... I am not noisy... And it's not like I was listening behind the door or anything. I just happened to be around. And besides, it's near the Dam, so I figured..."

If Clark's suspicious came to be true than he needed to keep Lois as far as possible from the ship.

"... I swore that I would find out what Lex is up to. So I thought to myself... _Why not?_ I mean..." Lois looked around and found the room empty; the door hung half opened. "That... bast..." She had to bit her tongue from finishing the word.

Lois didn't waste any more time, she rushed out and then into her car and drove off...

------------------

Clark was wandering through the woods around Smallville. He kept looking for the ship but found nothing instead. Almost thirty minutes had passed since he left Lois talking to herself; he wondered why still there was no sign of the sip.

"Maybe it was just a rumor about something else..." He thought.

Clark was about to leave when a voice came up behind him.

"Can you tell me how did you get here so fast since your truck is still at the farm, Smallville?"

He rolled his eyes more in frustration than annoyance at the sound of Lois' voice.

"Lois..." Lois' ability to show up at the wrong place in the worst of the times always amazed Clark; he kept his back to her and only turned to face her after she patted his shoulder. "Lois... I..."

"Don't sweat it, Smallville... Long ago I realized that _strange_ and _Clark Kent_ are somewhat related... But that doesn't mean you're getting away this time, big boy..." Lois stopped and her eyes went bigger; she was looking over Clark's shoulder. "Holy shit!"

"What?" Clark puzzled, his frowns increased at her hand gripping at his blue jacket. "Wh..."

She let go of him, rushing ahead. The look of triumph on her face as she looked at the dark-silver, almost gray, object laying only a few feet away from her.

"Oh my God! This is amazing!" She grinned widely.

Clark was caught up between doing what he had to do and hide the truth from Lois at all costs; at that second he felt like he was about to get his feet between his hands.

"Lois... we better leave."

"Are you kidding? I am not going anywhere, Smallville." She retorted taking a step ahead. Clark's hand came up to her arm stopping her from moving. "Let me go, Clark... Hey... Why the sudden change in thought? You were the first to get here and now you wanna bail?"

"Lois, this is trouble. It's probably Government's property. The authorities will be here any minute. We need to go."

Clark tried his best excuse but it was no use. Lois had made up her mind and her eyes were on the big story she would deliver, a story that would win her a pass into the major papers in the country. She managed to free herself from his hand and advanced. The sparkles in her eyes were almost as shiny as the object of her wonderment.

"You know what this is? If you ask me... we're looking at a real spaceship."

"What? No... Lois... Spaceship? Don't you think you're letting your imagination go too far this time? We both know they don't really exist." Clark lied, he couldn't let Lois know she was extremely close to finding out the truth.

Though Clark spoke, Lois didn't listen. She was bold, her hand slowly reached out, she was going to touch the intriguing object. A sudden rush of strong wind blew and Lois was thrown far away from the ship. She landed, hitting her head lightly but not quite, she was with her face buried in mud while her consciousness left her for a moment.

Clark knew what happened. "Kara!" He exclaimed. The blond kryptonian appeared behind his back. "Why did you hit her? You didn't have to do it!"

"She was going to touch my stuff. No one touch my stuff, Kal-El." The sweetness in her voice was long gone. Kara had a determinate look on her face. She moved to where Lois laid and grabbed her muddy red jacket, lifting her unconscious body in midair.

"Kara?"

"She's dangerous. She needs to be neutralized."

"Let her go, Kara. She's my friend. And she does not need to be neutralized. She's harmless... Noisy? Yes... But still... harmless." Clark could tell Kara wasn't evil but there were a lot of things he didn't know about her and the way she behaved before a possible threat was one of them.

He went to his cousin, his voice tuned up high, ordering for her to let go of Lois. With a hint of revolt in her eyes Kara let Lois fall back to the ground.

"I don't take orders from you."

She disputed glaring at him and then when she was about to speed away Clark did the same and the two collapsed against each other. Their pressed bodies fiercely waved through the air, leaving behind destruction. When they finally hit the bottom, they were meters away from the ship.

"Why did you that?" She asked, annoyed by the fact Clark stopped her from getting her ship.

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

She was beginning to get furious because of his attitude. She glared at him and stood. Clark followed her move and she began to soar. His eyes widened and his hand instinctually grabbed her ankle. Kara tried to free herself by kicking him with her free leg but she failed, Clark was faster and soon her other ankle was restricted. Kara struggled to get away, her body in air as Clark kept both of his feet stuck to the ground.

"Come back down, Kara!" He ordered.

"No! I'm going back. I need to get my ship. Why can't you understand that?" She pouted and still struggled.

Clark intensified his grip at her. "Come down!" He ordered again.

"Kal-El, I'm telling you. Let me go." Her voice came out loud in warning. "You need to respect me, little boy! Don't you forget I changed your dippers!"

Clark had enough of it. The minute Kara brought up the fact she was older and used to take care of him, insinuating he ought to obey her because of their history, it made Clark even more annoyed than he already was. He forced harder, dragging her down, causing Kara to land on her butt.

The blond looked up at her cousin, resent shining out of her green-wide eyes; Clark only reciprocated the stare.

"Oh no..." His face changed as memory flashed in. "Lois..."

Kara was up in the next second and this time Clark did not stop her from flying away. He overlooked at her trail and rushed after to where the ship was. Clark found Kara standing in the middle of the huge hole where the ship used to be. She only cast a knowingly saddened glance at his way then she flew away.

He had made things worse, Clark knew it for sure. He stared at the empty spot and chided himself mentally.

"Ouch... My head..." Lois whimpered under her breath, she picked herself up from the ground, brushing her hands over her muddy clothes.

Clark went to help her up. "Easy..."

"Where is it?" She questioned seeing the ship was gone.

"Where is what?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Smallville. Where's the ship?" She demanded.

Clark pressed his lips before saying anything. "I don't know. I was out. I think something hit me, Lois."

She eyed him suspiciously, her gut telling her he was lying, but his clothes were just as bad hers – his jacket was covered with mud and his jeans were ripped right next to his left knee.

Lois shook her head in disbelief and told him she was going back to her apartment to change. Clark was sure Lois wasn't going to drop her case but he had more important things to worry about. Finding Kara and her ship was his number one priority...

---------------------

Chloe activated the alarm of her car. She was at the Daily Planet's building garage, her pace was normal as she headed to the elevator.

"Where is she?"

Chloe froze; she knew very well whose voice it was. She waited a second, swallowing her anger before turning to face him. "Lex Luthor... What an unpleasant surprise."

"Where is she, Chloe?" Lex repeated his previous question. His eyes boring into hers fiercely.

Chloe tried not to look like it but she had no clue what he was talking about.

"Oh, come on, Chloe! You were her best friend..." Lex left his spot in the shadow and his face was lit by the doomed clarity in the garage. "She couldn't have done this all by herself. She needed someone. And what better ally than her own best friend?"

"You're losing me here, Lex." Chloe's tone were cold as ice. Her eyes held his gaze in a defying manner that she didn't even knew she had in her.

"You honestly expect me to believe she's dead?"

"You tell me... You were the one who killed her."

Lex snorted something that resembled a fading laugh. "This is one game I do not intend to play, Chloe. I didn't murder my wife and you know it."

His loud tempered voice didn't chase her defying stand away. It only increased the anger towards him instead. "What I do know..." Her voice matched his tempered manner. "... is that you seriously need some psychiatry... Lana was leaving and you killed her for it! That's all I need to know. You're a murder."

"Someone confessed, Chloe!"

Chloe wasn't surprise to hear that piece of news. "Once again, a Luthor snake manages to slither away from the grip of justice." She sneered bitterly.

"Where is Lana?" He growled louder this time. "Tell me! Where is she!"

Lex felt an undeniable urge to grab Chloe by her arms and rip the truth out of her but he stopped himself from doing it. As for Chloe, she could sense Lex was about to get violent but she did not withdraw.

"I've got better things to do than to listen a murder claim his innocence by accusing me of helping his dead wife of faking her own death... Besides... you said it yourself. Someone else confessed. You're free, Lex. There's no reason for you to keep coming up with more convoluted conspiracy theories... They won't bring Lana back, that's for sure." Her glare was intense and unwavering. "Now if you excuse me..."

Chloe swallowed hard once again and left to the elevator. She cast one last cold look at him before the elevator's door closed...

---------------------

Back at the Luthor Mansion, Lex walked into his office. The anger in him was enormous; he was furious. Hate was shooting out of his eyes the minute he swept his desk, throwing every single piece of things down to the floor...

"Mr. Luthor?" His assistant called. Lex was panting when he turned to glare at the man. "I'm sorry, sir. But it's important."

"Speak."

"We applied voice-recognition software and, using our satellites, cast a net over every landline and cell-phone on the globe... We have a match... She's in Asia."

"Where?"

"China. Our GPS puts her just a few miles from central Shangai." The tall dark-skinned man finished.

"Prepare the jet to take off." Lex ordered, his eyes twinkling in victory.

"Yes, sir."

---------------------

"Sullivan!!"

Chloe practically jumped, being startled by the high-tuned call-out of her last name. Papers in hand, she left her desk then trudged into the editor's office.

"Show me what you got, blondie."

Gabriel Grant, the new Daily Planet editor, was sprawled on his chair, swinging from one side to the other, a pencil in hand while he eyed Chloe from up and down.

Blinking fast, Chloe spoke. "Hum... Mr. Grant, I..."

For the first time in her life Chloe felt like words had run out of her. She had always been the one that traced one story after another, and now she found herself with nothing to deliver. As she stood there, her mind swirled back to her current status. Even though Chloe pretended she was fine, truth was she was miles away from anything near fine. Her state of mind was a total chaos, a wreck. Questions about what happened to her, what caused her death and Lois' miraculously recovery still haunted her every second. Lana's death also left a lot of damage inside of her. Chloe felt lost, clueless, like she had both of her hands tied, her feet were in chains and her soul was trapped inside herself. No wonder she couldn't work out the nerve to concentrate at work.

"Sullivan?" Grant called out, snapping her out of her reverie. Chloe's mouth moved but senseless words was what the editor heard. "Stop right there, girly... You better work your ass out if you wanna keep this so-called job of yours. Chop-Chop! Move! Papers don't sell themselves. Stories do! Now, you better get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind and throw you back writing obituary."

Her mouth went dry and her eyes instantly lowered. Grant had just insulted her as a reporter and the bitter taste she felt just increased. Chloe decided to do as she was told, she sighed heavily at the sound of the door being shut behind her back.

She slogged to her paper-crowded desk only to find her cousin. "Lois, what are you doing here?"

Chloe had a tired look on her face, Lois on the other hand was glowing. Her face was lit with excitement. "You're never gonna believe this, cuz. I just saw a spaceship."

Silence filled the space between the two girls. Chloe said nothing at first. What would she say? She knew very well it probably had something to do with Clark and her past experiences taught her to smell kryptonian problem from distance.

"Don't say anything. I know this is huge." Lois took Chloe's lack of verbal response as in stunning surprise. "I just came here 'cos I need you to help me track an address."

"An address? What for?"

Lois looked at Chloe in mockery. "I'm a reporter. Hello! I'm writing a story, my cuz. But I need proof of purchase." She beamed displaying her camera.

"Lois, a story about a spaceship is not gonna send your career into stratosphere. It'll embarrass you." Chloe tried to get some common sense into Lois but it was good for nothing.

"I'm telling you the truth, Chloe. I saw it with my own eyes. Ask Clark, her was there too."

Her suspicious was corrected as always. At the mention of her intergalactic best friend, Chloe knew the sky was about to fall down on everybody's head.

"We are talking about an alien invasion, here. Chlo, you..."

"Not now, Lois. I'm sorry. I can't help you." Chloe shortly cut her cousin's sentence. "The Daily Planet hired a new editor wonder boy from the Star City Post, and spaceships are not the stu..."

"Do my ears deceive or someone did say _spaceship_?" Grant appeared out of nowhere.

"Did anyone teach you that eavesdropping is rude?" Lois sneered at him, her eyes rolling at her own remark because she had done just the same earlier that day at the Inquisitor.

The urge to stop that conversation to go any further screamed in Chloe's mind. "No... Mr. Grant... You..."

It must had been something about the way Lois bickered at him or it was just male instinct but Grant couldn't take his eyes off Lois.

"Eavesdropping is my livehood. Grant, Gabriel... your new editor." A sassy smile creeping on his lips. "Tell me about your close encounter."

Lois had to laugh at him. "Sorry, wonder boy. No-can-do. I work for you rival, The Inquisitor."

Grant couldn't contain himself, he just openly laughed at her words. Lois' eyes narrowed in annoyance, she new perfectly well why he was acting that way but her pride spoke louder and she wasn't about to let him walk over her like she was a doormat.

Lois straightened her body, the snarling retort at the tip of her tongue but Grant beaten her to it. "Sorry... Couldn't help myself..." His face changed into more serious. "I'll tell you what... You deliver me your spaceship story – a story that will sell papers – and you've got yourself a job here."

Lois couldn't believe her ears. "Are you serious?'

"Do I sound like I'm joking?"

The certainty in his eyes were enough. Lois gained even more confidence after Grant's proposal. She watched the man start to walk, leaving to his room. Her fiery eyes dancing in pure rush. Lois didn't even bother to cast a word at Chloe before she left.

Mouth ajar and pride destroyed. Chloe let herself fall backwards, using the desk as support. If that was some kind of an alternative reality, she wasn't very pumped about it and just needed someone to tell her where she could sign out. Being meteor infected wasn't enough, now she was going to have to go through one offense after another, have all her years of Torch's editor and her two years in the Daily Planet be minimized by a Ken doll who thought of himself as some kind of journalism deity.

"If it's a story that he wants... A story that's what he'll get." She scoffed tiredly under her breath then gathered her purse and hung it over her shoulder.

His eyes were looking everywhere for her. Anyone would call him a little dull given the fact he visited her with quite often. Clark searched for Chloe's face as he made his way down. Clark and Chloe met in midway.

"Clark?"

"I need your help."

Rolling her eyes Chloe predicted he would come eventually. "Obviously." She commented briefly, readjusting the purse over her shoulder. "Lois came by. Clark, please tell me she was seeing things."

"She wasn't." He delivered with alarm in his voice. "What Lois saw was Kara's spaceship."

"Kara? Who's Kara?" Chloe inquired with bewildered eyes.

Clark confined in Chloe most of the times but it was all too soon, too sudden. He still had thousands of questions about his newfound cousin and he wanted to deal with her before bringing Chloe in on the issue. Deep down Clark was doing it to spare Chloe, she had suffered enough and being involved with his kryptonian family would drain out a great amount of her time and energy. But extreme problems needed desperate measures, so there he was.

"She's from Krypton... She's my cousin."

Her eyes enlarged and her brows arched sharply as she exclaimed. "Wow!"

"Yeah..." Clark took a step closer, toning his voice down in an almost whisper. "Her ship is gone and Kara went insane. She simply evaporated. I need to find her before anything real bad happens."

"Why didn't you just speed after her, Clark?" She wondered since she knew Clark was totally capable of doing it so.

Embarrassment colored his cheeks a little. "Chloe... Kara is not just strong as I am..." His lips were low, practically an inch above her ear. "She can fly too."

What Clark had revealed was something to alarm her but Chloe seemed to be amused instead. "Oh my God. Clark, you seriously need to get on that one."

"I'm not joking." He retorted not sharing her sudden hint of excitement.

"Neither am I." She disputed thoroughly.

"Can you help me or not?"

Chloe's torn her eyes from his. She was willing to help but she had to think of herself first. "I'm sorry, Clark. I don't think I can do much. We've got a new editor who's biting my head off. I need to find a story ASAP and have it on his table by the end of the day..."

"But Chloe..." He pleaded.

She hated herself for being like that but mankind was threatened again and she wasn't going to turn her back on her super-hero. "I'll see what I can do. But I'm telling you up-hand, it's not gonna be much... I mean... How do you track a Supergirl? She's your cousin, that means she's probably on the good side. So following the destruction left behind anything related to Krypton is not very likely in this case. "

"I appreciate anything you can do, Chlo."

She nodded and sighed heavily. "I'll keep you posted."

---------------------

Clark sped back to the farm hoping he would find Kara waiting for him. For once in his life his intuition pointed him to the correct direction. Clark found Kara at the barn.

"Where were you?"

He had made up his mind about Kara. Clark was going to give her a piece of his mind, reprehend her for her reckless acts. "You can't..."

"I couldn't find it, Kal-El." Again the alarmed-urging tone she used put his mind in unrest. "It's gone, it means humans took it. Kal-El if anyone but me tries to open that ship, it will activate the self-destruct sequence."

"Define.. self-destruct."

"I think you call it something like a... nuclear explosion."

Again the future of mankind was set in his hand. Clark told Kara about Chloe, he assured her if someone could find the ship, this person would be Chloe. Though there was ultimately urgency, Clark suggest give Chloe an hour and then see what she could discover.

---------------------

"I can't wait, Kal-El. It's too dangerous." About twenty minutes had passed and Kara was up in her nerves. "We need to find it now."

"No wait. Don't go anywhere." Clark prevented Kara from flying away again, his hand grasping her arm. "Come with me."

---------------------

Sparkles of broken wires swayed in the air, Kara forced the door opened, damaging the machine.

"Those doors would have opened if you'd have just waited." He offered not to chide her but more to teach her.

"We don't have time to wait for ancient technology. Between the two of us, we can cover more ground." A mischievous grin eased her tense features. "Of course, it would help if you could defy gravity. Explain to me again why you can't fly..."

Clark felt awkward at her remark. "I'm not sure."

"I guess the humans are right, Kal-El. Girls do mature faster..."

Her speech was getting him annoyed. "It's Clark, remember?"

A group of people come up and stared with questioning eyes at the broken elevators doors. "Just start walking. Don't look back."

It took Clark a minute or two to find Chloe among the massive journalism staff. He ushered Kara to where Chloe was.

"I should have known you were Clark's cousin from all the primary colors."

Kara frowned in puzzlement. She looked down at her blue top and red boots, she simply didn't get what Chloe meant.

"Kal-El said you can help... Do you know where's my ship."

Kara's bossy tone towards Chloe bothered her to the core. "It's Clark." She correct the kryptonian blond.

"Whatever."

"Any leads?" Clark asked.

Chloe shook her. "I have nothing."

"I told you coming here would get us nowhere. She's just a human."

Now Clark had enough of Kara's attitude. "A human who's smatter than both of us combined."

"Whatever."

"I'm sorry, Clark. I told you. This new editor is breathing down my neck. He wants big, splashy stories but all I could come up with is the sudden loss of AM/FM radio in Grandville." Chloe confessed in frustration, the papers in her hand drawing several circles in the air.

"Wait. Kara, your ship... does it emit any sort of frequency? "

Kara bored her eyes into Clark's, he already knew the answer to his question. Kara had mentioned the ship would be set in self-destruct mode if anyone tried to open it an the loss of frequency meant it must had already happened.

Clark took Kara up to the rooftop of the Daily Planet. He taught her how to use her super-hearing, maybe that way she would be able to identify her ship's signal. As predicted Kara heard signal sent from the ship. The two headed to Grandville, they followed what Kara heard.

Kara and Clark found themselves breaking into an apparent abandoned warehouse. The girl led him to where the ship was hidden. The security of the building was minimum given the fact whoever took the alien object was trying to stay out of attention.

A blinding light emanated from Kara's ship. She rushed and soon was soaring above the object. She tried to deactivate it but she failed at her task. In the slip of a second the ship disappeared...

---------------------

Hips covered jeans landed on Chloe's desk causing her to bring her eyes up to the person disturbing her line of thought.

"Okay, I admit..." Lois got out with less excitement resonating in her voice this time. "I found nothing... But it doesn't mean I was seeing things." Lois was never good in admitting she was wrong, Chloe smiled at that. "I wrote the article just as the same."

Chloe tugged Lois into a hug but the two were pushed apart by the annoying sound of Grant's voice.

"Lane... I read your article. It's ridiculous."

Chloe was ready to jump in her cousin's defense but she once again was caught off guard by Grant. With one hand reached out, the man beamed at Lois. "Welcome to the Daily Planet."

"Excuse me?" That was all Chloe managed to get out, she was shocked to say the least.

Lois would had said something but Grant seemed uninterested in whatever she had to say and instead of listening he spoke. The man was a pain, he even set up the spark for a competition between the two girls insinuating Chloe had lost her passion for breaking news and maybe working side by side with Lois would help to burn the flame in her again. Chloe's dismay was palpable even though she did her best to try and hide it...

---------------------

A light knock on the door brought Clark back from his toughs. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Chloe's head peek in. It was late at night, the lights were doomed a little, the fire flames brightening her petite figure as she stepped in.

Chloe displayed a weary smile at him before taking a seat right across from where he was. "So, how is our Supergirl cousin?" She tried to joke just to ease the tension that hung in the air.

His brows furrowed a little. "She's... fine, I guess... The ship is gone, though."

"Is there any reason to worry about it?"

Clark simply shook his head, wrinkling his nose. "I don't think so. My version of what happened is... The ship did self-destructed and Kara kept it from destroying the entire city. End of the story."

"Waw! Good! Finally a female to join the super-hero staff. Though I think Kara wouldn't be so thrilled if she had to come in my rescue." Chloe scoffed a little at the end of the sentence gaining a quizzical look from Clark. "Come on, Clark. First impressions are it and I can tell she didn't like me that much."

"You need to give her some time to adjust, Chloe. Everything is new to her."

Chloe studied Clark with careful eyes and nodded. It was amazing how much he had matured; the young man sitting across from her was definitely not the same boy she met eight years ago. All of the sudden her face clouded, Clark noticed something was troubling her spirit. He grew to know her and sometimes he was sure that she managed to know him better than he knew himself. That kind of intimacy and trust was what made him urge her to open up.

"Chloe..." He began but she cut him shortly.

"Guess what?" She forced and displayed a worn out smile at him. "Lois Lane just landed a job at the Daily Planet."

"What? Seriously?"

"Yyyyyep!" She laughed bitterly, taking her eyes away from his.

Clark knew what she was doing. "And is that a bad thing?" He asked in caution.

Chloe left her spot and paced around the room for a few seconds; she stopped by the fireplace. "It's great, actually. Lois..."

She started fingering a tiny little porcelain doll as in an attempt to hide her weariness. A heavy exasperate sigh left her lips; she put the fragile doll back on its place and turned to Clark again.

"It's just... I mean... I've been working my butt off for two years and Lois just..." Her head danced in frustration and disbelief. "... I mean, Grant even said her article was ridiculous... but he looks at her and gives a job just the same."

"Maybe he was impressed by her big boo..." Clark almost let his dirty-male side speak for him. He gave her an apologetic smile and reconstructed his phrase. "... by her big...fron... hum... m... mouth?"

His almost slip up was good for something, after all. Chloe didn't have to force herself to smile this time. "It's okay, Clark. I get what you mean."

Chloe made her way back and took a seat next to him; she tilted her head to one side and sighed again. "It's just... it seems so... so unfair... You know..."

His lids fluttered as he watched her. Clark didn't need words to grasp Chloe was dancing around circles. "Are we still talking about Lois?"

"Of course." Her body tensed up again and her eyes were clouded as she looked away. "What else would I be talking about?"

"Chloe..." He reached out cupping her small hand within his own.

"Clark, don't." She bit her bottom lip, doing her best to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall.

His voice soothed and he allowed his thumb to lightly run across the skin of her hand. "We have to... We can't simply ignore what happened..."

Chloe kept on nodding as each word was being spoken. Denial, it was the key word to her behavior. She didn't want to talk about her possible meteor power. She didn't even want to think about it anymore. But how couldn't she? Sooner or later it would come back and make itself more present then anything she'd ever known and Clark was aware of it too.

"Chloe... Just so you know... I'm here... when you're ready."

A single tear managed to escape her eye and instantly the small fingers found their way out of his grip and swiftly brushed away any remaining trail of weakness that instants before soiled her face.

"I know." She replied sharply.

Suddenly being there, standing so close to his presence felt weird and uncomfortable. She stood again and another faked smile was flashed. Clark read her eyes and knew sorrow had made her its prisoner. He wanted to make her stay, let her know he cared but decided against his heart instead.

"Good night, Clark."

Weakly she waved at him and slid out through his door. She cast on last glance back.

"Good night, Chloe."

Clark watched the door close behind her and let his head fell backwards on the couch...

---------------------

Taking in the surroundings he made his way slowly into the tiny apartment. She didn't even have to turn to know who was standing behind her; she came to know his presence very well.

"I'm impressed." She heard him speak.

Putting down the comb she turned and pointed a gun a at him. "I knew you would come eventually."

"Lana..."

"Lex..."

* * *

TBC 


End file.
